Could Mina Be The Final Piece In The Puzzle?

Liverpool has conducted some good transfer business so far this summer with Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri signing for the club, while Naby Keita also completed his pre-arranged move. Fans and bookmakers alike are impressed with what they have seen so far. This has been underlined with Unibet as well as other betting sites viewing Liverpool as the major contender ahead of Manchester United to challenge Manchester City’s dominance in the league. Jurgen Klopp also looks to be close to finally getting a deal for Nabil Fekir of Lyon over the line too after a few bumps in the road not so long ago. Attentions will now turn to other areas of the team that need strengthening before the season opener against West Ham at Anfield.

For many people the sole focus had to be in adding real quality to the goalkeeping department. Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet simply aren’t at the level Liverpool needed them to be at, especially when the teams they’re competing with in the Premier League have the likes of David De Gea and Ederson between the sticks. Rumours had continued to swirl to suggest that Roma’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson was their number one target, and that proved to be the case, despite Barcelona’s Jasper Cillessen having been heavily linked.

There was no denying that Liverpool did need to bring in a new number one if they were to progress but another area they need to strengthen is central defence, with Virgil van Dijk crying out for a solid partner in the heart of the backline. While Dejan Lovren has claimed to be one of the best defenders in the world, it’s only he who truly believes that, and I feel Liverpool could do a lot worse than target Barcelona and Colombia star Yerry Mina.

Mina, 23, only joined Barcelona in January but found his chances limited and only made 6 appearances in all competitions. Now, let’s face it, if it wasn’t for the World Cup most people wouldn’t have even known who Jerry Mina is, but the 6’4” defender starred for Colombia alongside Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez and was one of the standout performers in Russia.

First of all, Mina is a goal scoring centre back as England found out in the knockout stages. He’s already weighed in with 22 career goals and his height and jumping power will mean Liverpool are likely to have a new dimension to their offensive set pieces next season should they make a move for him. He’s also equally as good at defending set plays too and has an instinct which tells him where he should be when the ball comes into the box.

Now, a centre back needs to be able to defend primarily and Mina has the positional sense as well as awareness to make him solid in this area. He also possesses superb physical attributes, he’s packed full of raw power and athleticism, making him a nightmare for opposition players to come up against. Mina can mix it with big and strong players as well as nippier opponents quite comfortably.

Finally, it’s become the norm for teams to play out of the back in this day and age and to do that you need defenders who are comfortable with the ball at their feet. This is another box that Mina ticks, although he will have to ensure he stays focused rather than holding onto the ball too long. He’s the modern-day centre back and a great fit for Liverpool but they would undoubtedly face competition for his signature.