Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a move for Napoli defender Kim Min-jae as manager Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his backline in 2023.
What’s the word?
According to journalist Sean Walsh, the Red Devils are among a handful of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the South Korea international, albeit with the Serie A side looking to agree a new deal in order to increase the 26-year-old’s €45m (£39m) release clause.
The transfer insider stated on Twitter: “Tottenham remain interested in Kim Min-jae. Man Utd also keen and Real Madrid have been keeping an eye on him. But Napoli are confident he’ll stay and sign new contract with release clause roughly double his current one of €45m.”
In the attached piece for 90min, it also states that Luciano Spalletti and co are ‘confident’ of tying down the centre-back to a contract extension before the end of the season, having only signed the former Fenerbahce man on a £16m deal over the summer.
This follows a recent report from The Mirror which also noted United’s interest, with the Old Trafford outfit said to have snubbed the chance to land the 6 foot 3 titan for just £3m in the summer of 2021.
Maguire upgrade
Ten Hag’s apparent interest in signing a new centre-back comes amid reports that club captain Harry Maguire could well be jettisoned at the end of the season, with the £80m man having slipped down the pecking order in recent months.
The former Leicester City star has started just three top-flight games for United so far this term, having been something of a bystander to proceedings since the debacle at Brentford in August, losing his place to summer signing Lisandro Martinez.
While the England international has yet again impressed for his country – having started all five games for the Three Lions at the World Cup and recorded a 7.34 average match rating, as per SofaScore – the 29-year-old has struggled to replicate such form at the Theatre of Dreams, with pundit Jamie Carragher suggesting that it is now “too late” for Maguire to save his United career.
Turning to Kim as a potential replacement could well see Ten Hag secure a big upgrade for the club, with the 46-cap menace currently thriving in Italy for the league leaders, conceding just 12 goals in 15 league games this season.
Dubbed an “iron barrel” by team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia due to his rock-solid presence in the backline, the former Beijing Guoan ace is a truly dominant force. He ranks in the top 11% in Europe for aerial duels won among those in his position, while Maguire ranks in just the top 19% in that same metric.
Equally, while the latter ranks in just the top 40% in terms of pass completion, it is Kim who appears far more accomplished in possession, ranking in the top 20% in that regard.
The emerging Napoli colossus also thrived for his country in Qatar after notably winning 93% of his total duels – including 100% of his aerial duels – during his three outings. Meanwhile, the current United skipper won just 68% of his total duels and only 61% of his aerial duels at the World Cup.
As such, if the Red Devils hierarchy snap up Kim in 2023 it would seemingly provide a better quality fit than that of the struggling Maguire, with the Sheffield-born dud having simply looked bereft of confidence and form in the red jersey of late.