Bayern Munich is letting go of 'the title-winning contributor' Kim Min-jae (29, Munich).
Munich officially announced on the 29th that it has signed center-back Jonathan Tah (29) from Bayer Leverkusen. The contract is for four years, until 2029. Jonathan Tah will wear the number 4.
Munich is set to achieve a dual effect by strengthening its center-back position while weakening the strength of rival Leverkusen. Tah was under contract with Leverkusen until the 2024-25 season and wanted to move to Munich by rejecting a renewal.
This is the worst news for Kim Min-jae. With the signing of Tah, Kim Min-jae's position within the team has significantly diminished. Munich's management determined that Kim Min-jae's major mistakes last season impacted stability. It led to recurring injuries among defenders such as Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, and Hiroki Ito. Eric Dier transferred to AS Monaco. Reinforcing the defense was inevitable.
In Germany, it is anticipated that Jonathan Tah's signing will push Kim Min-jae to the bench. Bild noted on the 29th that 'with the signing of Jonathan Tah, he and Upamecano will form the starting center-back duo. Within Munich, Tah and Upamecano are evaluated as complementary partners.'
Kim Min-jae is to be relegated to the candidate list. Bild stated, 'Kim Min-jae will move to the bench. Munich is willing to sell him if a suitable offer comes in. If Kim Min-jae stays, he will be backup along with Josip Stanisic.'
If Kim Min-jae is to remain at Munich, he must accept the role of a substitute. If he does not like that, he is advised to transfer to another team. Munich may have reclaimed the Bundesliga title, but it does not highly regard Kim Min-jae's performance.
'Bavarian Football Works' questioned, 'Munich has signed Jonathan Tah. The move to the bench for Kim Min-jae will accelerate. Can Kim Min-jae truly remain at Munich?'
The media also suggested, 'Kim Min-jae prefers to play regularly as a starter. He could not have imagined that he would take on a backup role at Munich when he was signed from Napoli. If Kim Min-jae does transfer, Munich will need to sign an additional backup center-back to strengthen its defense,' putting more weight on the possibility of Kim Min-jae's transfer.
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