Napoli have made an offer to Kim Min-jae (27, Napoli) with the condition of ‘removing the buyout clause’.
The Express, a British media outlet, 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. Their first-choice centre-back pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane is 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.먹튀검증
There has been a lot of speculation in recent days that Kim Min Jae’s move to United is a foregone conclusion, with reports even suggesting a specific fee.
“Kim Min-jae is getting closer and closer to Man United, who are ready to pay Napoli a buyout clause,” said Niccolo Skira, who is well versed in football news, on the 8th, adding, “Man United have made an offer to Kim Min-jae’s side that will tie him to a contract 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 are likely to get Kim Min-jae,” adding, “United will pay €60 million (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 from mid-June.
Italy’s Il Matino claimed that the deal between Kim and United was virtually finalised and that Kim had even found a place to live in England. CBS Sports in the US also claimed that “United are leading the race to sign Kim Min-jae”.
Newcastle, who finished fourth in the English Premier League (EPL) this season and qualified for next season’s UEFA Champions League, also joined the race to sign Kim.
British media outlet TalkSPORT reported on the 9th that “Newcastle wants to hijack Kim Min-jae”. Newcastle are betting that defender Jamaal Lascelles will leave the team. They want to fill the position with Kim Min-jae, who has developed into a world-class defender.
“Newcastle have held secret talks with Kim Min-jae, who is valued at more than £42 million,” said TalkSPORT. Kim’s agent travelled to Newcastle’s home ground, St James’ Park, for the final game of the season to speak to the board,” adding, “Man United are still the favourites to land Kim, but Newcastle are also monitoring the situation.”
Kim’s buyout will be triggered for a limited two-week period from 1-15 July. 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 has made no secret of 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 reflected the club’s wishes. This would mean that Napoli could put a sky-high price tag on the player, which would mean that United could walk away from the deal if they couldn’t agree on the financial terms. This is why the Express says that “United could be in trouble with Napoli’s new offer”.
Meanwhile, Kim joined Napoli from Fenerbahçe (Turkkiye) ahead of the 2022-2023 season and helped the club win their first Serie A title in 33 years with his unflappable defence.
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 making 1.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 3.5 clearances, and 0.7 shot blocks per game.
On 2 February, he was honoured as the first Asian player to be named Serie A’s Best Defender. This is the first time that the award, which was established for the first time in the 2018-2019 season, has gone to a member of the winning team. Kim Min-jae is also the first Asian player to win the award.
“Congratulations on a great debut,” Serie A said in a statement announcing the award. Italian media outlet Tuttone Napoli also shared the news, calling Kim “the best defender in Serie A”.
South Korea national football team coach Jürgen Klinsmann also congratulated Kim, saying, “It was a happy and proud moment to see him lift the Serie A trophy. He has made an achievement that will be remembered for the rest of his life,” while announcing his squad for the June A match.