Kim Min-jae linked to Manchester United as trade rumors start early

Center back Kim Min-jae appears for Napoli in a game against Lecce at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy on Aug. 31. [AP/YONHAP]

Napoli center back Kim Min-jae has barely had time to unpack and find his local pizza restaurant before the transfer rumors have started up again — this time linking the 25-year-old to Premier League club Manchester United.

Kim arrived in Naples in July from Turkish club Fenerbahce after one year playing in the Super Lig. Over the summer he was linked with a number of clubs across Europe, including in the Premier League, before Napoli eventually locked in a deal.

According to reports, Kim, who is currently on duty with the Korean national team, is under contract with Napoli until 2025, with the club retaining the option to extend the deal for two more years. Napoli paid 19.5 million euros ($20 million) to Fenerbahce to trigger Kim’s release clause, and have included a 45-million-euro release clause in his new contract.

Kim has been a trade rumor favorite for years, 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 Hotspur.

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.

After arriving in Napoli, Kim did not waste any time making his mark on the club and clearly the rest of Europe has already started to take notice.

Kim has played the full 90 minutes in eight of Napoli’s nine games so far this season.

Across all those games, Kim and the Napoli defensive line have only conceded six goals, five in league games and one against Liverpool. Not only has Kim pulled his weight in defense, he has also scored two Serie A goals so far this season, against Monza on Aug. 21 and Lazio.

That makes Kim the second-highest scoring Korean player ever to compete in Serie A, a record that is particularly impressive considering that the only other two Koreans to play in the league — Ahn Jung-hwan and Lee Seung-woo — both play in offensive positions.

Off the back of that success, Kim was nominated for Serie A player of the month last week and even named to the WhoScored.com September Best XI for Europe, drawing from the very best players from the Premier League, Ligue 1, the Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga.

Reports of Manchester United’s interest in Kim have been circulating for the last week, with CNN even reporting that United have already approached the Italian club.

But whether United will actually be able to sign Kim during the January transfer window remains unclear. According to some reports, even though United appear willing to trigger the 45-million-euro release clause, it may not be available in January. Instead, the English club will either have to wait for the summer or reach a separate deal with Napoli.

Persuading the Italian club to give up on a star player in the midst of a very good run is also not going to be easy. Napoli currently top Serie A with five wins and two draws so far this season, making them one of only two clubs not to drop a single game, alongside Atalanta.

If the team can keep up that momentum when they return from the international break next week, it’s unlikely the club is going to be particularly keen on selling any starting members of the squad until the end of the campaign.

For Kim, the move also may not appear that attractive. While the Premier League is often the ultimate goal for Korean players and Manchester United especially has a special connection with Korea after Park Ji-sung’s career there, Kim has already found a spot at one of the best teams in Europe.

Departing top-of-the-table Napoli for United, who currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League, might not seem like such a good deal in the middle of the season.

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