"Going to a league with a lot of money."

European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano reported on the 22nd (Korea Standard Time) that "Kim Min-jae's future lies in the English Premier League (PL) or the Saudi Arabia League rather than Bayern Munich."

German 'Sport Bild' previously reported on the 21st that "Bayern wants to wait for transfer offers for defensive star Kim Min-jae. They hope for proposals from abroad." According to the media, Max Eberl, the director of Bayern, has received support for his squad proposal. After presenting his plan to the board, he received approval for the summer transfer policy.

The signing of another player has already been approved. Sport Bild explained, "Eberl has been authorized to sign T. Just last August, the management committee did not allow the signing of T, who was the defensive leader at Bayer Leverkusen, because they demanded a transfer fee of €25 million (about 39.3 billion won). However, Eberl has now obtained the authority to sign T, who is currently a free agent (FA), until 2028."

The futures of the existing Bayern center-backs have also taken shape. Eric Dier has already left Bayern after his contract expired and signed a three-year contract with AS Monaco. The board is said to understand Eberl's choice, which involved lower wages, contract duration, and limited standing within the team compared to Monaco.

Dayo Upamecano, Kim Min-jae's partner, is likely to renew his contract. His contract with Bayern ends in the summer of 2026, making this summer crucial. Although it seemed like negotiations would falter due to Upamecano's high salary demands, they appear to be finding common ground again.

Sport Bild reported, "Discussions regarding Upamecano's contract extension are underway. He has played 33 matches for Bayern this season. However, he has not played since the end of March due to cartilage damage."

Florian Plettenberg, a reporter for the German version of 'Sky Sports,' hinted that there has been positive progress regarding Upamecano's contract renewal. He stated, "New discussions have begun between both sides and are progressing in a much more constructive direction. Upamecano and Bayern are currently negotiating to extend the contract until 2030."

However, Kim Min-jae's future is different. Sport Bild reported, "Bayern is waiting for overseas offers for Kim Min-jae. He has played 43 matches this season. The Korean center-back Kim Min-jae transferred from Napoli to Munich for a transfer fee of €50 million (about 78.6 billion won) in 2023."

It seems Bayern does not want to send Kim Min-jae to a Bundesliga rival club. However, they would be willing to sell if a good offer comes from abroad. They appear to question Kim Min-jae's stability while highly valuing his potential.

Although it has not yet been two years since Kim Min-jae donned the Bayern uniform, transfer rumors are heating up. He has been more dedicated than anyone else at Bayern this season. Across all competitions, he has played 43 matches and logged 3,593 minutes, with 2,289 minutes in the league alone. This is the second-most playing time at Bayern, following Joshua Kimmich.

Especially, Kim Min-jae has been playing through an Achilles injury since last October. Despite needing rest, he has not been able to take a proper break due to his teammates' injuries and has continued to guard Bayern's defense. He has become an "icon of overwork" to the extent that the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) has expressed concerns.

Thanks to his efforts, Bayern has reclaimed the Meisterschale (Bundesliga championship trophy) that they lost to Bayer Leverkusen last season. Kim Min-jae also became the first Korean player to dominate two of the top five European leagues. However, it remains uncertain whether Kim Min-jae will don the Bayern uniform next season.

Due to his prolonged injury struggles, Kim Min-jae has made frequent mistakes toward the end of the season, leading to increased criticism in Germany. Consequently, reports have been pouring in from major outlets such as Sky Sports, 'Bild,' and 'Kicker' suggesting that Bayern is considering parting ways with Kim Min-jae.

Kim Min-jae, who always declared his intention to stay at Bayern to prove himself, has changed his mind. Christian Falk, a reporter from 'Bild,' stated, "Kim Min-jae is one of the candidates to be released this summer. He himself would not hesitate to leave if he receives an attractive offer. He has deeply felt the criticism regarding his performance in Munich."

Several teams are interested in Kim Min-jae. Chelsea, Newcastle United, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Saudi Arabian clubs have shown interest in him. In particular, Serie A clubs, well aware of his performance during his time at Napoli, are strongly eager to acquire him. At Juventus, there is Cristiano Giuntoli, the Director General who signed him during his Napoli days.

While Kim Min-jae's next destination remains unclear, one thing is certain: Bayern has decided to part ways with him. According to Falk, Bayern's board had higher expectations when they acquired him for €50 million (about 78 billion won) two years ago at Napoli. They are dissatisfied with Kim Min-jae's growth.

Specific transfer fees have also been mentioned. According to Falk and reporter Toby Altshäpfel, Bayern expects to receive about €30 million (about 46.9 billion won) to €35 million (about 54.8 billion won) through Kim Min-jae's sale. This is a significantly lower amount than initially anticipated.

Bayern seems more open to selling Kim Min-jae as they have already identified a replacement. It is reported that T, a towering center-back standing 195cm, is close to transferring to Bayern. Falk stated, "For now, Bayern is leading the transfer race, and there is a very high likelihood that they will complete the signing."

T is a center-back boasting incredible speed, reaching a top speed of 35.81 km/h. He has been playing in a Bayer Leverkusen uniform since 2015 and was a key player in last season's historic unbeaten championship in the Bundesliga. T once appeared set for a transfer to Barcelona, but as negotiations dragged on due to financial issues on Barcelona's part, he shifted his focus to a move to Bayern.

Meanwhile, transfer market expert Romano stated about Kim Min-jae's destination, "Kim Min-jae's next destination will likely be either the PL or Saudi Arabia. He has a relatively high salary, so there are not many leagues that can afford him," while predicting a relatively negative outlook for a move to Serie A.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), AS Monaco, Bayern Munich, Transfermarkt social media.

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