The transfer market clock surrounding Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) is ticking faster again. This time, Liverpool has begun to show serious interest. After a shaky season in the German league, there are growing observations that Kim Min-jae could aim for a Premier League move for new opportunities.
Liverpool Index reported on the 28th (Korean time) that 'Liverpool is considering the acquisition of Kim Min-jae and the transfer fee is estimated at £43 million (80.4 billion won).'
It was further noted that 'Liverpool continues to keep Kim Min-jae's name on the scout list and is ready to move depending on the developments within Munich.'
Kim Min-jae transferred from Napoli to Bayern Munich in 2023, embarking on a challenge in the Bundesliga. However, he struggled with chronic Achilles tendon pain from the start of the season and faced harsh evaluations due to deteriorating performance and repeated mistakes in the second half of the season. Nevertheless, Kim Min-jae dedicated himself as the team’s most used center-back, clocking 2,289 minutes in the league.
The issue was the internal evaluation at Bayern Munich. Kicker recently excluded Kim Min-jae's name entirely from their 2024-2025 Bundesliga rankings list. He was classified as 'international class (IK)' in the winter rankings, but in the summer list, he did not even receive 'national class (NK)'. German media specified that Kim Min-jae's mistakes in the latter half of the season and the impact of injuries were reasons for this exclusion.
A larger change can be seen in the team composition. Bayern Munich has recruited Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen) as a card to replace Kim Min-jae, and the mood indicates that Kim Min-jae is being pushed out of the squad. Local reports in Germany suggest that Bayern Munich is willing to dispose of Kim Min-jae for an amount around €30 million (48 billion won). This is significantly lower than the €50 million (79.9 billion won) paid to Napoli at the time of his acquisition, indicating that the club is considering a sale even at a loss.
At this point, Liverpool's interest must be good news for Kim Min-jae. The newly appointed head coach Arne Slot's Liverpool is poised for a defensive overhaul. Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, and Ibrahima Konaté all have uncertain futures. In particular, Konaté is demanding a salary increase ahead of his contract expiration, leaving it uncertain whether Liverpool will agree to this condition.
Anfield Index stated that 'Liverpool is focusing on building the defense and finding a partner for Virgil van Dijk,' noting that 'Kim Min-jae is an already proven asset on the European stage and possesses sufficient capability to adapt to the Premier League.' It was added that 'the acquisition of Kim Min-jae could materialize when the internal transfer structure is organized.'
Kim Min-jae is still recognized for his potential as a top defender in Europe. He dominated the Italian stage during his time at Napoli and maintained a certain level of stamina, coverage ability, and man-to-man defense at Bayern Munich. The issues were injury management and mental burden. Particularly, repeated mistakes in decisive moments such as the UEFA Champions League and Der Klassiker have negatively impacted his ratings.
Liverpool had shown interest in Kim Min-jae before but ultimately withdrew from the acquisition due to Bayern Munich's active courting at the time. However, the situation is now entirely the opposite. Bayern Munich wants to offload Kim Min-jae, and Liverpool is in need of changes in their defense. The player himself is also in a position to positively consider a return to the Premier League.
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