Napoli monster Kim Min-Jae wants to join Man Utd

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 10 Jan 2023 11:34 GMT
• 3 min read

Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae wants to join Manchester United, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Mirror reports that Manchester United are certain to table a bid for the South Korea centre-back next summer.

And the 26-year-old is keen to move to the Premier League club, seeing it as another step up in his burgeoning career.

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

Min-Jae signed for Napoli from Fenerbahce for €18 million this past summer as a replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly, who left after eight years to join Chelsea.

He was actually offered to Man Utd, who turned down the chance to sign him.

Kim has been a revelation for table-topping Napoli so far, with the Partenopei barely missing Koulibaly, who in turn has struggled at Chelsea.

Man Utd are aware that Kim has a minimum fee release clause in his contract.

The terms of Kim Min-Jae's contract

“The clause is only valid for foreign clubs and it’s accessible in a window in July, for just 15 days,” Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli recently said of the clause.

“Is the clause €50m? It’s variable, it depends on the revenues of the potential buyer. It’s all theoretical given that we are already thinking about changing these terms.”

Standing at 6ft 4in, Kim is a physically imposing and aggressive defender who is excellent in the air and brave in the tackle.

His performances saw him named Serie A Player of the Month for September.

Napoli have been one of the most impressive teams in Europe this season. They are top of Serie A, eight points ahead of Milan.

They also qualified for the Champions League last-16, topping their group ahead of last year’s runners-up Liverpool.

Kim has been one of their standout players this season, and he also played an important role in South Korea making it to the last-16 of the World Cup where they lost to Brazil.

Madrid face competition from Real Madrid, who see the defender as a possible replacement for Nacho at the end of the season.

A move in January is very unlikely for Kim as Napoli aim for the Scudetto.