Ever since Thomas Vermaelen claimed Barcelona blocked a summer exit, with the Belgian defender naming Everton as a potential destination, the Spanish media have been on his tail.
During the last international break, Vermaelen told DH: “The board told me they needed four centre-backs. I didn’t have a choice but to stay. Clubs tried until the very last day, like Everton, but it was impossible. I wasn’t even able to negotiate.”
It hasn’t been enough for the Spanish sport press to dismiss Vermaelen’s comments as nonsense, they’ve had to repeat it again and again. The defender seems to be being ridiculed, and given any opportunity to point out he’s not exactly important at Barcelona, the press will take it.
Mundo Deportivo report that Vermaelen has been ‘discarded’ from the Barcelona’s meaningful selection ahead of the Olympiacos match. The defender has been out of most of the club’s match-day squads so far this season, and that’s down to managerial choice rather than fitness.
Barcelona recently released their accounts and it showed 84% of the club’s income goes on wages, a dangerously high figure which needs to be lowered. The general Catalan consensus, despite newspaper-selling claims of big purchases, is that Barca’s main business over the next couple of windows needs to be getting rid of players on high wages who don’t contribute.
Vermaelen is one of those, and Everton can surely get their man in January. That’s of course assuming the defender was being straight when he said Everton tried to sign him.
