Man Utd ‘in particular’ want €50m Serie A ‘jewel’ and club ‘prepare assault’ for next summer
Man Utd ‘in particular’ want to sign Napoli defender Kim Min-jae next summer and they are ‘preparing an assault’ to recruit him, according to reports.
In hindsight, United may regret not signing Min-jae last summer when he was available for just €18m.
Napoli were the side who snapped him up instead as they signed him from Turkish side Fenerbache.
The centre-back has quickly proven himself to be a bargain as he has been sensational in Serie A this season.
The 26-year-old has been one of the signings of the season in Serie A as he has helped Napoli move to the top of the table.
Ex-Napoli striker Emanuele Calaio thinks Min-jae has done “extraordinary things” this season.
“I was very skeptical because I didn’t expect above all that Koulibaly’s absence could be made up for, instead Kim is doing extraordinary things,” said Calaio.
“He is a player who is hungry , who learns quickly and who does everything Spalletti tells him. The coach is doing a great job.”
Min-jae has been so good that he is already being linked with a move away from Napoli.
United are naturally being linked with him as a potential replacement for Harry Maguire, who could leave the club at some point next year.
Tuttomercatoweb are now reporting that Man Utd are ‘serious’ about their interest in the defender.
It is suggested that ‘there has been contact’ with PSG but they face competition from English clubs. It is said that Man Utd ‘in particular’ are keen.
They add that United are ‘warming up their engines and preparing the assault for the player’ next summer.
Min-jae’s current contract at Napoli is due to expire in 2025 and it is understood to include a €50m release clause.
The report also states that Napoli ‘want to remove or increase the 50 million euro clause valid for abroad.’
The Serie A outfit seemingly want to move quickly to give themselves a better chance of keeping the ‘jewel’ as offers ‘will not fail to arrive’ in the coming months.
Man Utd are not expected to do much business in January after they spent over £200m on new players in the summer.
They have missed out to Liverpool in the race to sign Cody Gakpo and it is being reported that they will look to the loan market to identify a short-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The forward’s exit has left them with just Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford to choose from up front.
It is being reported that Atletico Madrid forward Alvaro Morata ‘remains an option’ for the Red Devils.
