Kim Min-jae says he's just a young defender looking to give it his all

Kim Min-jae, right, trains with his Napoli teammates at the club's training camp in Castel di Sangro, Italy on Thursday. [NAPOLI SSC]

Kim Min-jae doesn't see himself as Kalidou Koulibaly's replacement, telling reporters Saturday in his first press appearance since joining Serie A club Napoli that he is just "a young defender" looking to make a big impact.

"To be honest I'm not Koulibaly's replacement," Kim said in a press conference at Napoli's training camp in Castel di Sangro, Italy. "I'm just a defender who wants to give his all for his team. Koulibaly is a legend; I'm a young defender who has learnt a lot in a short space of time.

"I'm so excited to play here and I want to make a big impact this season in Serie A."

Kim signed with Napoli on Wednesday last week, ending a long transfer saga that has seen the formidable defender linked with Napoli, French club Rennes and at least one Premier League club during this summer transfer window.

Kim is only the third Korean to play in Serie A, and neither of his predecessors — Ahn Jung-hwan and Lee Seung-woo — had especially successful careers there. 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, while 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.

"I am indeed the third and I'm also the youngest," Kim said on Saturday. "I'm not interested in comparisons, though. I want to focus on myself and give my all. This training camp has been a great experience for me. I feel really positive about my new adventure and I'm sure to learn lots from playing in Italy."

Kim, who bid farewell to fans of former club Fenerbahce with a long message on Instagram last week, said he has already felt the support of the Napoli fans.

"I'm starting to realize how passionate Napoli fans are," Kim said. "While replacing Koulibaly could be seen as pressure it's also a source of motivation. I know that there's a lot of expectation but I'm also looking forward to things. Playing in the Champions League is a source of great motivation."

As of press time, Napoli were set to play their first friendly since Kim joined the club on Sunday afternoon against La Liga club Mallorca. If Kim gets some time on the pitch, the game could be a rare opportunity for Kim to face off against a fellow Korean, with Lee Kang-in playing for the Spanish club.

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