Man United have joined English rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Napoli’s 26-year-old defender Kim Min-jae.
According to The Daily Mail, Kim Min-jae is going to be the subject of interest of several big clubs and next season, he could be playing in the Premier League.
Kim joined Napoli from Fenerbahce in 2022 and in just one season, he turned himself into one of the best central defenders in the world. His current deal with Napoli expires in 2025 and as per the reports, the contract has a £40m release clause.
However, Napoli are really eager to scratch this clause as they want to tie him down to a new and improved deal. His release clause is an achilles heel for the club because the last thing they will want is to lose Kim Min-jae in a bargain deal.
Will Man United be able to sign Kim Min-jae or will he join another club?
Manchester United are expected to sell off Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof so Erik ten Hag will need to add a new centre-back to his ranks.
Kim Min-jae is a top-class talent so it’s no surprise that Man United are interested in him but the Old Trafford outfit will have to fend off a lot of competition if they want to bring him on board.
Both Liverpool and Spurs will also look to add defensive reinforcements in the summer and if Kim’s release clause is not struck off then the defender will be a hot property.
Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on this situation so they too will enter the race at the end of the season.
Napoli wouldn’t want to lose such a top-rated player after just one season but if they can’t make him sign a new deal then there’s a high probability that Kim Min-jae will head out.
He’s played in 27 league games this season so whichever club he joins, he will demand regular game time.
Man United already have Martinez and Raphael Varane but at clubs like Liverpool and Tottenham, the 26-year-old will have a much better chance of getting regular starts.
