Napoli are reportedly interested in signing Everton defender Yerry Mina in the January transfer window but will need to shell out a sum of €20 million.
According to a report from Calciomercato, Everton have slapped a price tag of €20 million on defender Yerry Mina amid strong interest from Serie A giants Napoli ahead of the January transfer window.
Mina has been with Everton for over three years now, having signed from Barcelona in the summer of 2018. The Colombian international has been unable to establish himself as a regular at Goodison Park as injuries and consistency issues have blighted his development. To date, he has made 84 appearances for the Toffees, scoring six goals and setting up one more.
The ongoing campaign has been a stop-start one for Mina as he has struggled with a thigh injury, limiting him to just seven appearances. Despite his fitness problems, the 27-year-old is attracting plenty of interest from clubs in Italy ahead of the winter transfer window, with AC Milan being linked with him, with Napoli now joining the hunt.
The Partenopei are in the market for a new defender after agreeing to part ways with Kostas Manolas in the January window. The Greek defender’s departure would leave Luciano Spaletti with only Kalidou Koulibaly and Amir Rrahmani as the frontline centre-backs. With Napoli in contention for the Serie A title, they are keen on reinforcing their backline mid-season.
To that end, Mina has emerged as one of the targets that the Naples-based outfit are looking at as a replacement for Manolas. However, the report adds that signing him from Everton will not be easy as they will demand a sum of €20 million for the Colombian international.
The Toffees have limited funds to spend in the market this winter and could look to generate some cash with the sales of players like Mina. They have numbers in defence with Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Mason Holgate and young Jarrad Branthwaite. In addition, Vitaliy Mykolenko, who is on the verge of joining Everton, can also play at centre-back.
So, selling an injury-prone player like Mina is unlikely to be off the table as long as the right offer comes along. What remains to be seen is if Napoli are willing to shell out the €20 million fees or look at alternatives, with Mina’s compatriot, Davinson Sanchez of Tottenham Hotspur, also on their radar.
