Manchester United will reportedly battle Real Madrid for South Korean international Kim Min-jae.
According to a report from Daily Mirror, Manchester United are keen on signing 26-year-old Kim Min-jae from Napoli. And they could make their move at the end of the season. Real Madrid are also interested in the South Korean centre-back. And the Partenopei value him around £38 million.
Kim Min-jae was offered to Manchester United 18 months ago for a fee of around £3 million. But the Red Devils decided against signing him. However, the Korean international has developed impressively over the past year and secured a move to Napoli in the summer.
Since his move to the Italian club, Kim has established himself as one of the best defenders in Serie A. And the 26-year-old has impressed with his performances in the UEFA Champions League as well.
South Korea made it to the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup this year, and Kim was one of their key players. There is no doubt that he could prove to be a quality acquisition for Manchester United. In addition, the report claims that Kim is attracted by a possible move to the Premier League, giving Manchester United an edge in the race to sign him.
The 26-year-old has developed into an indispensable asset for Napoli since the departure of Kalidou Koulibaly. Napoli paid £16 million for his services, and they will be hoping to make a substantial profit if they are to sanction his departure in the upcoming windows. The Serie A giants have slapped a £38 million price tag on him.
The Red Devils have signed Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez in the last two summer transfer windows. So it will be interesting to see how they accommodate Kim Min-jae in the starting lineup if the move goes through. But the interest in the player makes sense.
The South Korean international will want regular first in football before completing a move to Manchester United. So Erik ten Hag might need to switch to a back three in order to accommodate all of his best defenders.
Furthermore, the arrival of Kim Min-jae will push Harry Maguire down the pecking order at Old Trafford. So it remains to be seen whether the former Leicester City star is prepared to move on in search of regular game time.
Meanwhile, Spanish giants Real Madrid are interested in Kim to improve their back four. The South Korean defender has a release clause of around £38 million, and Real Madrid certainly have the means to pay that kind of money for Kim.
It will be interesting to see if Manchester United can compete with Real Madrid to secure the services of the South Korean international in the upcoming windows. As iterated earlier, the report claims that the 26-year-old is keen on a move to the Premier League and therefore it is fair to assume that Manchester United could have an edge in the transfer chase.
