Manchester United look increasingly likely to sign Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae in the summer transfer window, according to a new update.
Have United been linked with Kim Min-jae?
The South Korean has seen his stock rise hugely this season, following a memorable campaign that has arguably led to him gaining legendary status in Naples.
Kim was one of Napoli's standout performers as they won their first Serie A title since all the way back in 1990, and he is now possibly regarded as one of Europe's best centre-backs. The 26-year-old started 35 of his side's 38 league matches, averaging 3.5 clearances per game in the division, as well as 3.6 in the Champions League, as per WhoScored.
United are on the lookout for a new central defender before the start of next season and the Napoli hero has emerged as a primary target, with various reports linking him with a summer move to Old Trafford. Now, a new claim has emerged – one that further suggests he could be on his way to the Premier League.
What's the latest regarding Kim Min-jae's future?
According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], "insiders" at Napoli now "take it for granted" that Kim will be a United player this summer and feel a transfer is all but done. They are ready to trigger his release clause, which is a minimum of €50m (£43m), sealing the move in the process.
What that fee ends up being reportedly depends on the Red Devils' turnover in 2022, with the hope being that he could be signed for a relatively cheap amount, but it does look as if the defender could be on his way to England.
Kim really could be the perfect centre-back signing for United this summer, coming in and bolstering their options hugely and taking them up another level. Harry Maguire could well move on, with the same potentially applying to Victor Lindelof, and while Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have shone in stages as a partnership, although the latter is now 30 years of age and injury-prone.
For that reason, Kim could be viewed as the future of United back-line, alongside Martinez, with his combination of defensive expertise and ball-playing quality both attributes that could make Erik ten Hag's side a real force, having enjoyed a 91% pass completion rate in Serie A in 2022/23.
Former Reds hero Park Ji-sung has described his £33,000-a-week compatriot as "extraordinary" which is high praise from someone who knows how to make the grade at Old Trafford, and the club must do all they can to seal his signature in the coming weeks.
