Tottenham Hotspur ‘leading’ Manchester United in the race for Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae

Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur are ‘leading’ Manchester United in the race for Napoli defender Kim Min-jae, according to TEAMtalk (h/t Manchester Evening News).

In the current campaign, the 26-year-old has caught a lot of people’s attention with some fine displays. As a result, a number of sides are interested in acquiring the South Korea international’s services.

Unfortunately, for the Red Devils, they are in a complicated position regarding enticing Min-jae. The centre-back sees himself starting week in, week out.

However, Raphael Varane and Lisandor Martinez are Erik ten Hag’s first-choice defenders in the backline. The Dutch manager has relied on the duo for most of the season.

The France international signed for the Old Trafford side in the summer of 2021 from Real Madrid. In his debut campaign, the 29-year-old was a bit underwhelming and injuries hampered his availability.

However, alongside Martinez, the former Los Blancos centre-back has been impressive. The Argentina international made his way to United last summer and has seemingly been a point of difference in our defence.

Luciano Spalletti: “I’ve seen few players in my life and career with the skills and qualities of Kim Min-jae. He’s incredible, always aggressive — he deserves to start every game”. 🇰🇷 #Napoli

“Look at Di Lorenzo too — he’s a top, top player. We’re not only Kvara & Osimhen”. pic.twitter.com/GioELQAsvn

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 19, 2023

As for Tottenham, they have the likes of Cristian Romero, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Davinson Sanchez and Clement Lenglet in their backline. However, Spurs have struggled defensively over the last few years.

Ten Hag also has Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof at his disposal. However, the two have been unable to get a lot of opportunities since the former Ajax head coach’s arrival.

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Min-jae signed for Napoli in the summer of 2022 from Fenerbahce. The South Korean has seamlessly replaced Kalidou Koulibaly in the Serie A giants’ defence. They are on course to win their first league title in over 30 years. Therefore, it would be seemingly logical for the 26-year-old to snub the Red Devils for now.