Following a significant development in the Red Devils’ pursuit of the South Korean star, Kim Min-jae of Napoli, it appears that Manchester United is nearing an agreement to sign the defender.
What’s new with Kim Min-jae joining Manchester United?
The 26-year-old is apparently on track to join the Old Trafford club at the start of next month, with United poised to activate the center-back’s €60 million (£51 million) release clause on July 1.
According to the source, the former Fenerbahce star has ‘accepted’ a contract offer from the Premier League club worth approximately €10.4 million (£9 million) annually, and a move to Manchester appears to be a matter of when rather than if.
The 6-foot-3 star, whose contract with Naples still has two years to remain, only moved to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium last summer on a £16 million deal.
Would Kim Min-jae be a wise addition to Man United’s roster?
If the deal goes through as planned, it could be a real statement signing for Erik ten Hag and company. After helping Napoli win the Scudetto in 2022–2023, Kim has cemented his status as arguably the “best center-back in the world,” in the words of departing manager Luciano Spalletti.
The 49-cap “colossus,” as journalist Stephen Kasiewicz dubbed him, was instrumental in helping his team keep 14 clean sheets from 35 league games on the way to winning the championship. He also averaged a respectable 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game as a sign of his ball-winning prowess.
Kim ranks in the top 14% of players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duels won, demonstrating his physical presence and earning him the nickname “iron barrel” from teammate Kvicha Kvaratskhelia. He could prove to be a menacing opponent for any Premier League striker next season.
The £53k per week star’s quality on the ball, though, may be the main advantage of signing him. The tall asset is expected to help mitigate or mask David De Gea’s weaknesses in possession despite his extended tenure with United.
According to club icon Paul Scholes, the seasoned Spaniard can occasionally make the “whole team nervous” when attempting to play out from the back, so the addition of a serene presence like the Napoli rock could be just what the backline needs to maintain more composure.
The former Beijing Guoan machine’s talent for getting involved in the build-up is demonstrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 10% for pass completion and the top 12% for both progressive passes and progressive carries, suggesting that he prefers to look forward when in possession rather than playing back to his custodian on a regular basis.
The current centre-back option, Raphael Varane, for example, may be less confident on the ball as a result. The Frenchman ranks in just the top 35% for pass completion as well as in just the top 48% and top 25% for progressive passes and progressive carries, respectively. This could then help De Gea, who has reportedly verbally agreed to a new contract with the Red Devils.
The strain on the custodian may be reduced if Kim is paired with another innovative option like Lisandro Martinez, who, notably, ranks in the top 11% for successful take-ons. This might transform the game for the former Atletico Madrid star and for Ten Hag.