Enzo Maresca’s quarrel with the Chelsea board regarding a central defender’s signing following Levi Colwill’s injury was one of the reasons for a breakdown in his relationship with the club, and though he is sacked, it is clear the Blues need a centre back.
Recent displays in the Premier League have shown a lack of quality in the heart of their backline and after Liam Rosenior’s appointment, it is expected that the Londoners spend on a central defender’s signing sooner rather than later.
Fichajes has reported that Chelsea are looking into the signing of Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae, who has fallen down the pecking order with the Bundesliga giants, and could be on the move shortly in order to reignite his career.
Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah have been Vincent Kompany’s preferred centre-back pairing, which has meant that Kim Min-jae’s game time has stayed very limited, seeing his feature only nine times in the Bundesliga campaign so far.
Min-jae a decent medium-term fix
Kim Min-jae promises to be a decent medium-term fix for Chelsea. He will turn 30 in November this year, so he is not exactly a long-term option for the club, especially considering how many young players they sign, but he has adequate experience.
Having done well at Napoli as well as in his early days at Bayern Munich, Min-jae could do well at Chelsea. He is able to hold the backline together, has strong physical and aerial prowess, great game intelligence and passing range from the back.
The South Korean international is valued at £22 million on Transfermarkt and while Chelsea can afford to sign him, it remains to be seen if they can convince Bayern Munich into sanctioning a deal midway through the season for a vital secondary player.
