Aheed Abrar
Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur to compete with Manchester United for Napoli defender Kim Min-jae
Manchester United have been joined by several clubs, including Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur, in the race for Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, according to Calcio Mercato (h/t Manchester Evening News).
Other sides like Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham are also interested in the signature of the 26-year-old. The Partenopei value their defender at around £43.5 million.
Unfortunately, Spurs might have the edge over the other clubs. The North London side boast Son Heung-min in their ranks. And the 30-year-old is the compatriot of Min-jae and the captain of South Korea’s national team.
The 26-year-old joined Napoli in the recent transfer window from Turkish outfit Fenerbahce. And the centre-back has hit the ground running in Naples, handily replacing Kalidou Koulibaly, who moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2022.
The Partenopei are currently top of the table in Serie A. They have also managed to win their Champions League group, pipping Liverpool and Ajax to first place.
Napoli have only lost once in the current campaign. Two late goals from the Merseysiders in the last game of the UCL group stage handed the Italian outfit their only defeat of the season so far.
United’s current preferred centre-back pairing consists of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. Erik ten Hag has preferred the French and Argentine defenders in the backline for the majority of the campaign.
As a result, Harry Maguire has fallen down the pecking order at the Manchester-based club. In recent weeks, the Dutch manager has preferred Victor Lindelof in the starting lineup with Vranae injured.
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Without the 2018 World Cup winner in our defence, we do not look as solid. Unfortunately, the 29-year-old has had fitness issues since his arrival last year. Thus, the Old Trafford side could evidently do with another quality centre-back like Min-jae in their squad.
