FC Barcelona made the loan of Jeison Murillo official on Thursday and confirmed his jersey number. The Colombian defender will be taking over the vacancy left in the locker-room by Paco Alcacer and will wear the number 17.
The operation of Murillo is a puzzling one. The board will argue that the transfer was done out of urgency and necessity given the injury problems Barça’s defense is experiencing this season. Not only is Samuel Umtiti’s knee problem an incognito, but there are also reports suggesting that the injury may be long term. Add to that the fact that Gerard Pique is on the wrong side of thirty, and as far as Vermaelen is concerned…well…his troubled track record of grievances have been well documented and need no reminding.