Revealed: Exact date ‘best defender in the world’ will join Man Utd

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 14 Jun 2023 20:34 BST
• 4 min read

Napoli star Kim Min-Jae will become a Manchester United player on July 1.

That is according to Il Mattino, who report that United will trigger the €60 million clause in Kim’s Napoli contract that becomes active on the first day of July.

Il Mattino claims that everything is agreed, and the player labelled the “best defender in the world” by Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti will become a Man Utd player on July 1.

READ MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals

What did Fabrizio Romano say about Kim?

But Fabrizio Romano has shot down this claim that a deal is already done to take Kim to Old Trafford.

“At the moment, nothing is done,” the transfer specialist explained on YouTube.

Who is Kim Min-Jae? The €50m Napoli ‘monster’ wanted by Man Utd

Romano did confirm that Man Utd have made Kim one of their transfer priorities this summer and that talks with the players have been held.

“The race is absolutely open, trust me,” Romano told his viewers, adding that Newcastle and other clubs are also interested.

Kim has a minimum fee release clause in his contract understood to be around €50-60m, valid for the first two weeks in July. This makes Napoli powerless to let him go.

Attempts by Napoli to give Kim a new contract and remove the clause have proved fruitless, with more reports on Wednesday that the Italians again failed to convince him this week.

Min-Jae has been an absolute revelation since joining Napoli from Fenerbahce for €18m last summer, helping the club to their first Scudetto in 33 years.

He was signed as a replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly, who left after eight years to join Chelsea, but Kim has been magnificent at the heart of Napoli’s defence.

According to Spalletti, Kim is now the best in the world in his role.

“Kim does at least 20 incredible things per game, for me he truly is the best centre-back in the world,” Spalletti said in March.

Napoli are now resigned to losing their star defender, capped 49 times by South Korea.

They also risk losing star striker Victor Osimhen this summer, with Premier League clubs including Man Utd leading the chase.