Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands has jetted out to Barcelona with a transfer team to hold face-to-face negotiations with the Catalan giants over moves for defensive duo Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claim on their website that the Dutch chief, who joined the Toffees earlier this summer, has taken a contingent from Merseyside to Spain to discuss what would be an exciting double swoop for the club as Marco Silva looks to transform tactics at Goodison Park.
It is stated that the new boss wants to implement a three man central defence using two wing backs, and that Digne is eyed as a replacement for long-serving left back Leighton Baines.
Opinion
Brands heading over to the La Liga champions signals that they mean business, and this could be the moment that the proposed deals either go through or fall by the wayside. Barca are going to be tough negotiators, even if Digne and Mina are on the fringes of the first team, and Everton are being mighty ambitious if they feel they can prise both away from them this summer. Still, with the promise of regular first team action in what is arguably Europe’s most competitive league, the Toffees should have no trouble in convincing the players themselves on a move to Goodison Park. It is now up to Brands and his team to do the same with the Barcelona top brass, and get these deals over the line. If not, then Silva may have to look elsewhere to find the players he wants and needs to implement his new style of football, which should have the Everton faithful cheering after Sam Allardyce’s dull brand of play.