Manchester United are showing keen interest in signing Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, but the Red Devils are expected to face competition from Liverpool, according to The Sun.
Kim moved to Napoli from Fenerbahce last summer for £15m, and he is on course to win the Serie A title with the club this season. The South Korean is one of Serie A’s hottest stars following a stunning season, and he has a £40m release clause in his contract.
The Sun claims that United are eyeing a move for the defender but could face strong competition from Liverpool – who are also reportedly in the market for defensive reinforcements. Manchester City and Tottenham are also his admirers. The Italian giants are ready to offer Kim – who is dubbed as “the monster” – a new deal but he fancies a move to the Premier League.
The 26-year-old defender has made 30 appearances in the Serie A, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
Superb addition
The South Korean defender is strong in the air and he is an excellent reader of the game. He manages 1.3 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game and averages 3.6 clearances which shows that he won’t struggle to cope with the demands of the Premier League.
Man United will be looking to revamp their defence this summer. Erik ten Hag will surely allow Eric Bailly and Phil Jones to leave the club, while the likes of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof could be sold as well, as the Dutchman looks to shape his squad to his own taste.
Kim could be an ideal partner alongside Raphael Varane or Lisandro Martinez, and would be a perfect replacement for Maguire should he leave the club.
Liverpool are mainly focussing on bolstering their midfield but they need to focus on their defence as well. The likes of Joel Matip, Nathaniel Phillips and Joe Gomez could depart, and Jurgen Klopp could be interested in signing the Napoli defender as a replacement.
City are well-stocked in defence with Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Aymeric Laporte. However, Ake and Stones have excelled as inverted full-backs, and Pep Guardiola could be tempted to sign Kim to replace Laporte.
