The precarious situation of Kim Min-jae (29, Munich) of Bayern Munich has become a reality.
Bayern Munich claimed the championship trophy in the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season. Bayern finished with a record of 25 wins, 7 draws, and 2 losses, leaving second-place Bayer Leverkusen (19 wins, 12 draws, and 3 losses) behind.
In challenging circumstances, Kim Min-jae demonstrated his fighting spirit through injury. This season, Kim Min-jae has been dealing with an Achilles tendon injury for the past 7 months but has persevered. He recorded the second-most playing time at Bayern. Kim Min-jae was also the defender with the most appearances at Bayern. Kim Min-jae has a significant equity in Bayern's championship.
However, Kim Min-jae's future is uncertain. The Bayern Munich leadership has already begun planning without Kim Min-jae. Although Kim Min-jae said, "There is no reason for me to leave Bayern," and expressed his desire to stay, the player's opinion is not being taken into account.
"Bayern Strikes" predicts that Bayern will soon transfer Kim Min-jae. However, there are conditions. Injuries in the defensive line have left Bayern with a shortage of players able to compete immediately. Therefore, they plan to utilize Kim Min-jae only until the Club World Cup in June and will consider selling him if a good offer comes afterward.
The media outlet noted, "Bayern successfully acquired Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen. However, Jonathan is under contract with Leverkusen until June 30. For Bayern to bring him in early, they would have to pay a penalty fee. It is uncertain whether Jonathan will be able to play in the Club World Cup."
Bayern's defense is in a state of collapse. Kim Min-jae is resting due to his Achilles tendon injury. He has been excluded from the national team call-up in June. Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, and Hiroki Ito are also injured. In particular, Davies will be unable to play for several more months, and Ito will require about a year for recovery.
Ultimately, Bayern is hoping that Kim Min-jae will return in June to play in the Club World Cup. However, that does not mean they want to keep Kim Min-jae. Once they pass the immediate crisis, they plan to utilize Kim Min-jae and then discard him.
"Bayern Strikes" stated, "Upamecano will play a key role alongside Jonathan Tah as a central defender for Bayern next season," predicting a center-back duo of Jonathan Tah and Upamecano, presuming the sale of Kim Min-jae.
The media outlet added, "Kim Min-jae has not lived up to expectations. Supporters of Kim Min-jae will point out that he endured injury throughout the season. However, it is true that Kim Min-jae has not met the expectations of Bayern's upper management. If a suitable offer comes in, Bayern will sell Kim Min-jae. However, Bayern may postpone the timing of Kim Min-jae’s sale until after the Club World Cup."
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