Barca must pay more to get Mina sooner: Palmeiras

FC Barcelona will have to pay more than $10.8 million for defender Yerry Mina if they want him to join the Spanish football side in January, Brazil's Palmeiras said.

While the two clubs originally agreed that the Colombian would go to Barcelona in July 2018 for 9 million euros ($10.8 million), both Mina and the Spanish team want the transfer to happen now, reports Efe.

"Mina dreams of going to Europe, and Palmeiras opens negotiations based on that. We have already set a price, the ball is now there (in Barcelona)," Alexandre Mattos, the Brazilian club's sporting director, told journalists on Friday after meeting with the player.

He said that Palmeiras is confident of getting a quick answer from Barça.

"If Barcelona meets what we are asking for, Mina goes. If not, he remains until the middle of the year. The player and the Catalan club know that," Mattos said.

Barcelona, contending with defensive woes, contacted Palmeiras the day after Christmas to request that Mina's transfer be moved up.

--IANS

tri/vm