Yerry Mina Set to Complete £10m Barca Switch as Javier Mascherano Eyes Nou Camp Exit

Yerry Mina is on the verge of completing his £10m transfer from Palmeiras to Barcelona - six months of his originally scheduled switch.

The defender, who is being drafted in to replace the outbound Javier Mascherano, is due to fly in to Catalonia on Tuesday and formally complete his move to Camo Nou by penning his contract at the club's training complex.

Sport broke the news as the Spanish news publication revealed that Mina would head to north east Spain earlier than anticipated after Barcelona had already agreed to sign the Colombia international in July.

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The current La Liga leaders had agreed an £8m deal with Palmeiras to lure Mina to the club as Mascherano's replacement but, with the veteran Argentine on the cusp of a Chinese Super League transfer, opted to move Mina's transfer forward six months for an extra £2m.

Mina would likely be presented to the media and to La Blaugrana's fans on Wednesday once the official paperwork is filed for his signing, and the 22-year-old is in line to pen a four-and-a-half year deal with the Catalan giants.

Mina will be allowed to bed in to Ernesto Valverde's squad for the rest of the 2017/18 campaign, with the Barcelona head coach having the likes of Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen already available to him.

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The nine-times capped international would then almost certainly be introduced into the starting lineup from next term onwards on a more regular basis.

Mina only joined Palmeira for around £3m from Independiente Santa Fe in May 2016, and chalked up 33 appearances during his time at the Allianz Parque.

The physical centre-half also notched eight goals and two assists from those matches - proof that he will be an asset at set pieces for Barca in the coming years.

Mascherano has been tipped to join Hebei Fortune after falling down the pecking order under Valverde. The ex-Athletic Bilbao manager had hoped to convince Mascherano to stay, but the 33-year-old is keen for regular football ahead of his last chance to feature at a World Cup.