Salty Napoli’s ‘last ditch effort’… 英 media “Man Utd in trouble if Kim accepts”
Napoli made an offer to Kim Min-jae (27, Napoli) that included the removal of the buyout clause.
The British media outlet ‘Express’ reported on the 9th (below) that “Napoli have offered Kim Min-jae a new contract with a buyout clause. If the offer is accepted, Napoli can increase the price (of Kim’s transfer) as they wish. United could be in a tight spot.”
“As of now, we have no idea whether Kim will sign the new offer from Napoli,” he added.
United have been heavily linked with a move for Kim since last winter. The Red Devils have been interested in Kim since last winter, with their first-choice center-back pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Rafael Varane too injury-prone for long-term planning. Add to that the fact that Harry Maguire is likely to leave the club this summer. For United, defensive reinforcements are not an option, but a necessity.
There have been recent reports of Kim Min-jae’s departure from the club, with a specific figure being reported.
“Kim Min-jae is getting closer and closer to Manchester United, who are ready to pay Napoli a buyout clause,” said soccer news outlet Niccolo Skira on the 8th, adding, “United have made an offer to Kim Min-jae’s camp that will keep him at the club until 2028, with an annual salary of 6 million euros (about 8.4 billion won) plus bonuses”.
Italy’s Calcio Mercato also reported that “Man United is likely to get Kim Min-jae,” adding, “Man United will pay 60 million euros (about 840 million won) (for the buyout).” Kim has already said goodbye to his Napoli teammates, packed his bags and returned to South Korea for three weeks of basic military training starting in mid-June.
Italy’s Il Matino claimed that the deal between Kim Min-jae and Man United was virtually finalized and that Kim had even found a place to live in England. CBS Sports in the United States also reported that “United are leading the race to sign Kim Min-jae.”
In the meantime, Newcastle, who finished fourth in the English Premier League (EPL) this season and qualified for the UEFA Champions League next season, has also joined the race to sign Kim Min-jae.
“Newcastle wants to hijack Kim Min-jae,” British media outlet TalkSPORT reported on Sept. 9. Newcastle is betting that defender Jamal Lascelles will leave the team. They want to fill the position with Kim Min-jae, who has developed into a world-class defender.
‘TalkSPORT’ reported, “Newcastle have held secret talks with Kim Min-jae, who has an asking price of more than £42 million. Kim’s agent visited Newcastle’s home ground, St. James’ Park, during the club’s final game of the season to talk to the board,” adding, “Man United are still the favorites to land Kim, but Newcastle are also monitoring the situation.”
Kim’s buyout will be triggered for two weeks, from July 1-15. Any club willing to pay his buyout clause, which is said to be €60 million, will be able to negotiate directly with him.
Napoli are expected to support the player’s future, as United have made a strong bid for him and he hasn’t hidden his desire to play on a bigger stage. However, Napoli made a last-ditch effort by handing over a contract with a ‘delete buyout clause’.
By removing the buyout clause, Napoli would be able to set a transfer fee that heavily reflected their wishes. This would allow Napoli to put a sky-high price tag on Kim, which would mean that United could walk away from the deal if they couldn’t agree on the financials. This is why the Express says that “United could be in trouble with Napoli’s new offer”.
Meanwhile, Kim Min-jae, who joined Napoli from Fenerbahçe (Turkkiye) ahead of the 2022-2023 season, helped the club win its first Serie A title in 33 years with his unflappable defense.
Kim scored two goals and provided two assists in 35 league appearances and helped Napoli concede the fewest goals in the league (28). He played 35 league games this season, logging 3,054 minutes on the pitch. He scored two goals and provided two assists, while also registering 1.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 3.5 clearances, and 0.7 shot blocks per game.
On Feb. 2, he was honored as the first Asian player to be named Serie A’s Best Defender. This is the first time the award, which was established in the 2018-2019 season, has been given to a member of the winning team. Kim Min-jae is also the first Asian player to win the award. 안전놀이터
When Serie A announced the award, the organization applauded Kim, saying, “Congratulations on a great debut.” Italian media outlet Tuttone Napoli also shared the news, calling Kim “the best defender in Serie A”.
On June 5, South Korea national soccer team coach Jürgen Klinsmann announced his squad for the June A match and congratulated Kim, saying, “It was a happy and proud moment to see Kim lift the Serie A championship trophy. He has made an achievement that will be remembered for a lifetime.”