Sad news for Erik Ten Hag as player he really wants has now made a U-turn after deceiving Man UTD that he will join them- player is now set to join rival club and have his medicals in the ‘next few hours’- Not Adre Onana
Medical imminent for 26-year-old defender wanted by some of Europe’s top clubs, including Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Manchester United target Kim Min-Jae is set to join German giants Bayern Munich, with the player’s medical believed to be imminent, journalist Fabrizio Romano has told GIVEMESPORT.
The 26-year-old, who reportedly has a release clause of £51 million in his current contract with Napoli, was initially a target for the Red Devils, but they look set to miss out on the centre-back altogether.
Manchester United latest news – Kim Min-Jae
Manchester United have been dealt a transfer blow as defensive target Kim – labelled a “superstar” by journalist Graeme Bailey – edges closer to a move to Bayern Munich. Initially, the Manchester club were thought to be leading the race for South Korean international, with reports suggesting that United would move for the player when his release clause became active in July.
However, that no longer seems to be the case, and the defender’s most likely destination now appears to be Munich, where he will link up with players such as Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano
Given Kim’s form last term, it should be no surprise to see some of the most elite clubs in Europe fighting over his signature. The 26-year-old made a total of 45 appearances across all competitions for Napoli during the 2022/23 campaign, as per Transfermarkt, playing a vital role in their dominant Serie A triumph.
What did Fabrizio Romano say about Kim Min-Jae and Manchester United?
Romano explained that the Red Devils will have to assess their budget before signing a centre-back, while also revealing that one of their top targets in this area, Kim, is on the verge of joining Bayern Munich.
Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, Romano said: “They [Manchester United] wait to see how much they will have available in terms of budget to attack the centre-back situation.
“And just to complete about centre-backs – Kim will be a Bayern player in the next days, he will have his medical and then Bayern will trigger the release clause, and so Kim will join Bayern.”
Why are Manchester United looking to sign a centre-back?
While Erik ten Hag is likely more than content with his current first-choice centre-back pairing, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, there is an apparent lack of quality in depth in this position.
Both Victor Lindelof, and even more so Harry Maguire, have failed to make their mark at Old Trafford, and it is therefore no surprise to see the club exploring possible deals to bring another defender to the club.
With United also reportedly keen on offloading Maguire during the current summer transfer window, it is vital that they replace him within the squad in order to maintain enough strength in depth in order to compete in four competitions.
The club are further in need of a striker, given the woes of Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial last season – who scored just six Premier League goals between them – so it remains to be seen whether United are able to stretch their budget far enough to allow them to sign a top quality player in both positions.
One thing is for certain though, Kim Min-Jae will not be playing his football in Manchester during the upcoming 2023/24 campaign.
