Manchester United are ready to hold fresh talks as they look to acquire the services of Napoli defender Kim Min-jae.
According to Rudy Galetti via GIVEMESPORT, Manchester United have been interested in acquiring the services of Kim Min-jae for a while now. And, they are all set to hold fresh talks to move further in their quest for his signatures.
Kim has lit up Serie A ever since he joined Napoli from Fenerbahce. He arrived ahead of the 2022-23 season to fill in the big boots of Kalidou Koulibaly who had left for Chelsea.
While there were a lot of doubts about whether he could replace Koulibaly, the 26-year-old has managed to exceed expectations. He has been the mainstay of their team and has guided Napoli to their first Serie A title in over three decades.
The South Korean international has hardly put a foot wrong throughout the campaign. Meanwhile, his ability to play it out from the back and his exceptional positioning have attracted a lot of attention.
And, the 26-year-old is on the radar of multiple top clubs from across Europe. Despite joining the Naples-based club just a year back and having a contract with them until the summer of 2025, he could be on the move ahead of next season. There is a release clause of around £51 million that is likely to be triggered to fast-track his exit.
Galetti on Kim to United: “There is a new round of meetings scheduled already in the coming days in which Manchester United will try and finalise and reach a full agreement on personal terms. Then in early July, the English club already planned to pay to Napoli to the release clause of €60m valid for 15 days to bring in the Korean player, followed also by Liverpool and Tottenham, to the Premier League.”
Meanwhile, Manchester United are one of the clubs keen on having the South Korean international in their ranks. While Erik ten Hag has done a great job in his first season in charge, he is keen on taking the next step by strengthening his squad. The Dutch boss is a big admirer of Kim and wants him at his disposal.
The Red Devils are all set to pay his release clause. But, they first want to reach an agreement on personal terms with the player. Once that is done, they want to close the deal by early July by paying his release clause of around £51 million.
United already have Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez in their ranks but they have struggled when either of them has been absent. As a result, Ten Hag is keen on having the Napoli defender in his ranks. And, on top of that, the former Ajax manager prefers playing out from the back and Kim will perfectly fit into his system.
