Kim Min-jae headed to Napoli for medical on Monday: Reports

Fenerbahce's Kim Min-jae in action during a friendly against Hull City on July 10. [FENERBAHCE]

The Kim Min-jae transfer saga appears to have finally reached its end, with multiple reports Saturday that the Korean center back will attend a medical with Italian Serie A club Napoli on Monday.

Fenerbahce defender Kim has been a major transfer contender this summer, with Napoli and French club Rennes both said to have put in a bid, alongside significant interest from other European clubs including at least one Premier League contender.

Kim's contract in Turkey reportedly included a 19.5 million euro ($20 million) buy-out clause if a European club came calling, and both Napoli and Rennes were happy to match that with a 20 million euro offer.

That presumably left the choice down to Kim, who appears to have chosen to step into the shoes of Kalidou Koulibaly, who just left Napoli for Chelsea.

Kim has been a trade rumor favorite for years and this summer is no exception, but there had been concerns that a recent ankle injury might take him off the market. He has returned to form, however, and has been active in Fenerbahce friendlies over the last few weeks.

Kim, nicknamed "The Monster" for his unflappable defense, joined Fenerbahce in August last year from Beijing Guoan, where he had played for two years. At the time, he had been linked to a number of top European clubs including FC Porto, Juventus and Tottenham.

Kim is a highly rated defender who offers a formidable presence in the backline that could see him hold his own against more physical players anywhere in the world. Kim's international performance has gained him a lot of attention, especially during the 2017 Asian qualifier for the 2018 Russia World Cup.

During this year's January transfer window, Fenerbahce reportedly turned down an offer from Napoli, and Everton was also rumored to have put in a bid.

In March, scouts from Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea, Serie A club Juventus and Primeira Liga club FC Porto were all reported to be attending Fenerbahce games to watch Kim play.

If Kim is headed to Napoli, it could also mark an important turning point for Korean football in the Italian league.

No Korean footballer has ever really made much of an impression in Serie A, with only Ahn Jung-hwan and Lee Seung-woo having actually played in the Italian top tier.

Ahn played 30 games for Perugia in the early 2000s, but his career there was sabotaged when he scored the goal that knocked Italy out of the 2002 World Cup.

Lee made 14 appearances for Verona in the 2017-18 season, before the club was relegated out of Serie A and he was eventually relegated out of European football, returning to Korea last year without a contract.

If Kim does attend a medical with Napoli on Monday, a formal contract announcement is likely to follow in the next few days.

If completed, Kim will be the 10th Korean footballer currently active in Europe's big five leagues, alongside Premier League footballers Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers, sole La Liga star Lee Kang-in of Mallorca FC, Bundesliga players Lee Jae-sung of Mainz, Jeong Woo-yeong of Freiburg, Lee Dong-jun of Hertha Berlin, Cheon Seong-hoon of Augsburg and Lee Dong-gyeong of Schalke 04, and Suk Hyun-jun of French Ligue 1 side Troyes.

Hwang Ui-jo of Bordeaux is no longer a Ligue 1 footballer after his club was relegated twice over due to a bad season and financial troubles. He is likely to find a new contract before the summer is over, however, potentially making him No. 11 in the big five.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]