Romano reveals Man Utd’s ‘Plan B’ on key transfer and hints at FIVE alternatives

Robin Bairner

7 Jun 2023 14:14 BST
4 min read

Manchester United may be close to securing a deal for Napoli star Kim Min-jae, but according to Fabrizio Romano, the Old Trafford side are not prepared to consider the transfer done.

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The transfer market specialist reports that if the Red Devils should fail in a move for the South Korea international, they have been looking at alternatives in France.

Romano reports that United have been following Kim since October but face competition from Newcastle for the 26-year-old.

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If they miss out on him, they will explore the French market, which ironically is where they might have been seeking Kim had he decided to accept a move to Rennes from Fenerbahce last summer instead of going to Napoli.

But who will be their top targets in Ligue 1?

Using the data analytics tools of SciSports, FootballTransfers has picked out the likeliest targets based on players around Kim’s age or younger and who play with a similar style to the Napoli man before ranking them in order of quality.

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Man Utd's best Kim alternatives

5. Tiago Djalo – Lille

Vastly improved over the course of the last season, Djalo has been one of the key players for Lille as they secured a fifth-placed finish in Ligue 1. He has filled the void left when Sven Botman moved to Newcastle last summer ably, and has the added bonus of being able to fill in at right-back.

Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €14.6m

Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) explained

Our Player Valuation Model calculates an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) for more than 240.000 players in the world.

4. Axel Disasi – Monaco

A player linked with Manchester United for some time now, the Monaco man rose to prominence in the winter when he played a significant role for France as they reached the World Cup final. Struggled a little in the second half of the campaign as his side faded badly at the end of the Ligue 1 season. With a turnover expected at Stade Louis II, the 25-year-old could be allowed to leave.

Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €25.2m

3. Kevin Danso - Lens

Arrived at Lens from Augsburg in 2021 and has been one of the chief benefactors of the club’s excellent recruitment strategy. The 24-year-old has been a rock in the heart of their defence and looks purpose built for the Premier League. Had a loan spell at Southampton that did not work out but the Austria international has matured and is a player who looks capable of stepping up.

Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €23.8m

2. Facundo Medina - Lens

Another gem unearthed by Lens, Medina has a couple of caps for Argentina, underlining his qualities and suggesting that he could make a quick adjustment to playing alongside Lisandro Martinez in the middle of Erik ten Hag’s defence. SciSports predicts he is strong enough to become a key player for Man Utd, who were linked with him as far back as January 2022. Could prove a shrewd move.

Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €20.8m

1. Jean-Clair Todibo - Nice

Todibo has already had a crack at the big time with Barcelona, but his decision to drop down a level and get game time with Nice has proven smart. He is learning beside a Champions League winner in the form of Dante and has increased his on-field maturity immensely. May be some concerns about how he handles life if he does not break into the team immediately as showed a fiery and outspoken temperament in the past.

Estimated Transfer Value (ETV): €27m