Kim Ji-soo to sign with Brentford next week

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Kim Ji-soo to sign with Brentford next week

Kim Ji-soo trains with the U-20 Korean national team at Estancia Chica training complex in La Plata, Argentina on Saturday. [YONHAP]

Kim Ji-soo trains with the U-20 Korean national team at Estancia Chica training complex in La Plata, Argentina on Saturday. [YONHAP]

 
Eighteen-year-old defender Kim Ji-soo is set to sign with Premier League club Brentford next week, his Korean club Seongnam confirmed Wednesday.
  
Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin, the current president of Seongnam FC, congratulated Kim on the expected move in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening alongside a post of Kim visiting Shin in his office.
  
“Seongnam FC’s Kim Ji-soo met with the club owner and Seongnam mayor after returning from Argentina having made it to the semifinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup,” Shin posted on Facebook.
  
“Next week, Kim will leave Korea to sign for Brentford, a team in England’s EPL. Although it will be hard to see him again, we will hope and pray that he can achieve bigger things, avoid injury and bring joy to football fans as a world class player representing Seongnam and Korea.”
  
Kim has just returned from international duty, appearing as the starting center-back for Korea at the U-20 World Cup in Argentina. Korea finished fourth in the tournament.
  
Kim, who became the youngest player ever to appear in a K League 1 game last year, has been linked with Premier League club Brentford for months, with Seongnam FC confirming earlier this year than an offer was already on the table.
  
Standing well over 6-feet tall and not afraid to get his hands dirty, Kim has already drawn comparisons to Napoli center-back Kim Min-jae.
  
If the deal is confirmed next week, it’s unclear how Brentford intend to utilize Kim Ji-soo in the near future, especially as work permits can be more of a challenge for U-21 players.
  
There is the possibility of a loan — potentially even back to the K League — in the near future until the club feels like the 18-year-old is ready for some first team action, although Brentford may also try to keep him closer to home if they think the potential is there.
  
Another option could be a loan to Dutch club Midtjylland, which is also owned by Brentford owner Matthew Bentham. That would give Kim some European experience, as Midtjylland are set to compete in the 2023-24 Europa Conference League.
  
At such a young age with a buyout clause of only £560,000 ($700,000), Kim was also linked to Bayern Munich and Sporting Lisbon.
 
Brentford have yet to confirm that the move is locked in as of press time Thursday, with no announcement expected until the signing is finished next week.

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