Newcastle targets Bayern's Kim Min-jae with £40 million contract offer

Newcastle United is making a concerted effort to acquire Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich).

Football Insider reported on the 27th (Korea time) that "Newcastle is working to acquire Kim Min-jae for £40 million (approximately 76.5 billion won). The team is trying to finalize the deal ahead of the summer transfer window."

Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle, is pushing for squad reinforcement ahead of the next season's UEFA Champions League (UCL) participation. Currently, Newcastle is in 3rd place in the Premier League with 4 games remaining. However, due to revenue and sustainability regulations (PSR), it is challenging to make hasty acquisitions.

Nevertheless, Newcastle has no plans to give up on acquiring Kim Min-jae. Football Insider assessed that "Kim Min-jae has proven top-level ability at Napoli and Bayern. He can provide the presence and strong mentality that Newcastle fans want in big games."

In addition to Newcastle, there are many teams interested in Kim Min-jae. Manchester United is again mentioned as a strong candidate. The atmosphere indicates that Newcastle is actively pursuing him.

Chelsea, Juventus, and clubs from Saudi Arabia are also reported to be interested in acquiring Kim Min-jae.

Kim Min-jae is on the verge of winning the Bundesliga title with Bayern this season, but the likelihood of a transfer this summer is increasing. There are voices suggesting that his position in the team has been shaky due to overexertion and frequent mistakes throughout the season.

Bayern acquired Kim Min-jae last summer from Napoli for €50 million (approximately 81.4 billion won) but is considering a parting after 2 years.

German media outlet Bild stated, "Bayern will allow Kim Min-jae's transfer if they receive offers at the level of €50 million (approximately 81.8 billion won). Although Kim Min-jae's buyout amount is reportedly €110 million (approximately 180.3 billion won), there is a prospect of the possibility of a sale even for offers at half that amount."

The growing likelihood of Kim Min-jae's departure is attributed to mistakes during crucial matches. He recently missed an opposing attacker during 'Der Klassiker' against Dortmund, leading to a conceded goal, and subsequently allowed another goal due to losing a header battle in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarterfinal second leg against Inter Milan.

Local German media have evaluated that trust in Kim Min-jae has weakened because of this. Sky Sports added fuel to speculation regarding his sale by saying, "Kim Min-jae is no longer an unsellable asset due to frequent mistakes in recent months."

Bayern has Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano, Hiroki Ito, Eric Dier, and Josip Stanišić as center-back options. The club plans to sell Kim Min-jae to acquire a new defensive leader, with names like Dean Huyceyn (Bournemouth) being mentioned as potential candidates.

Newcastle highly values the experience and leadership that Kim Min-jae would bring to its defense. Local media outlet Newcastle Tunes reported, "Newcastle has struggled with injury issues throughout the season. If an overpowering defender like Kim Min-jae comes in, many problems can be resolved."

Newcastle's tactics, which utilize high pressing and direct long passes, also align well with Kim Min-jae's style. The media assessed, "Kim Min-jae is strong in aerial duels based on his height of 190 cm and possesses excellent composure and tactical understanding," calling him "a defender optimized for Howe's system."

However, Kim Min-jae's salary may be a variable. In this regard, European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano noted, "Kim Min-jae earns a considerably high salary. This could be a burden for most clubs in Europe."

It was also added that clubs from Saudi Arabia would be ready to offer amounts higher than his current salary.

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