There are various speculations surrounding Kim Min-jae's (28, Bayern Munich) destination.
According to British media outlet 'Caught Offside,' on the 6th (Korea time), "Liverpool is eager to acquire star Kim Min-jae for 35 million euros (approximately 54.3 billion won). Newcastle is also in talks with Kim Min-jae," noting, "Liverpool is one of the clubs exploring the possibility of acquiring Bayern center-back Kim Min-jae this summer. The final decision regarding Kim Min-jae's status has not yet been made, but among close sources, there is a growing atmosphere that his transfer will be permitted."
Additionally, "Bayern's asking price is understood to have dropped from 50 million euros (approximately 77.5 billion won) to 35 million euros (approximately 54.3 billion won). Kim Min-jae himself also desires a transfer. According to sources, he prefers a move to the Premier League should he leave Allianz Arena (Bayern's home stadium)."
Premier League teams targeting Kim Min-jae are not limited to just Liverpool. Caught Offside stated, "If Kim Min-jae transfers to England, there will not be a shortage of suitors. Liverpool is considering signing him. Additionally, Newcastle has shown an interest in Kim Min-jae and is reported to have initiated early negotiations. Chelsea is also aiming to bolster its defense this summer and could be a noteworthy option."
The outlet continued, "Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and AC Milan are keeping an eye on Kim Min-jae's situation. Liverpool wanted to sign him when he was playing for Napoli. They seem to be once again showing interest in the potential signing."
If Kim Min-jae dons the Liverpool jersey, he will team up with his idol, Virgil van Dijk. Currently, Liverpool has one year left on the contract of starting center-back Ibrahima Konaté, but negotiations for renewal are struggling. If Konaté leaves, Kim Min-jae's acquisition is likely to be more aggressively pursued.
However, Caught Offside cast doubt on whether Kim Min-jae could become a key defender for Liverpool in place of Konaté. The outlet emphasized, "Is Kim Min-jae sufficiently suited for Liverpool? Although he shined at Napoli, he has yet to succeed in representing a prestigious team like Bayern. It remains to be seen whether Kim Min-jae has shown enough to succeed in the Premier League while still in Germany."
There is a possibility that Kim Min-jae will part ways with Bayern this summer. He has played 43 matches totaling 3,593 minutes in all competitions while wearing the Bayern uniform this season, with 2,289 minutes being in the league alone. This is the second most playing time on the team, following Joshua Kimmich. Especially, since October of last year, Kim Min-jae has been carrying an Achilles tendon injury while continuing to play.
Even though Kim Min-jae is in a situation where he needs rest, he has not been able to properly rest due to a series of injuries among his teammates and has continued to defend Bayern's backline. He has become an 'icon of overwork' to the extent that the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) expressed concern. Thanks to him, 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 win titles in two of Europe’s top five leagues.
After lifting the Serie A championship trophy at Napoli during the 2022-2023 season, Kim Min-jae succeeded in winning the Bundesliga title as well. However, Bayern is considering parting ways with Kim Min-jae. In Germany, there has been criticism of him for having made too many mistakes in the second half of the season. The Bayern board wants to send Kim Min-jae overseas if appropriate offers come in and has already signed Jonathan Tah.
There are many teams interested in Kim Min-jae. Chelsea, Newcastle, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Saudi Arabian clubs have shown interest in him. According to Christian Falk of 'Bild,' Bayern expects to receive around 30 million euros (approximately 46.5 billion won) to 35 million euros (approximately 54.3 billion won) through the sale of Kim Min-jae.
Kim Min-jae, who always shouted that he would remain at Bayern to prove himself, has also changed his mind. Falk reported, "Kim Min-jae is one of the candidates for release this summer. He himself does not hesitate to leave the team if he receives an attractive offer. He felt the criticism of his performance in Munich deeply."
Following Liverpool, AC Milan is also being linked to Kim Min-jae. However, this is solely Bayern's hope. Bayern wishes to acquire Milan's ace Rafael Leão. Milan has declared that they will not sell him unless their set transfer fee of 130 million euros (approximately 2.016 trillion won) is met. Bayern is said to have offered a package of 70 million euros (approximately 1.068 trillion won) plus Kim Min-jae as part of the trade.
However, Milan has stated that they will not sell Leão unless their transfer fee is met. Additionally, the relatively expensive salary of Kim Min-jae is also a burden for Milan. It is more of Bayern's bundling strategy rather than Milan's desire, making the possibility of a transfer to Milan lower compared to Liverpool.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (No unauthorized reproduction or redistribution), LFC Transfer, Liverpool, 365 Scores, Bayern social media.
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