Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) is highly likely to leave the team. The statements from Bayern Munich's leadership, the internal competition structure, external interest, and the flow of the transfer market all indicate a separation.
Bayern Munich's Director General, Max Eberl, stated in an interview with Bild on the 2nd (Korean time), 'Kim Min-jae and João Palhinha are expected to remain with our team until the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. After that, we will observe the market situation.'
While Eberl, the Director General, took the position that there are 'no immediate plans to send the two players,' he did not completely rule out the possibility of their transfer.
Kim Min-jae is one of the likely candidates for sale this summer. Despite dealing with an Achilles injury throughout last season, he insisted on participating and dedicated himself to the team, but ultimately, the accumulated injuries led to a decline in performance, which resulted in fierce criticism from local media. Some even labeled him as 'the worst defender.'
Nevertheless, Kim Min-jae was a needed card for the team. As starting defenders Dayot Upamecano, Alfonso Davies, and Hiroki Ito faced multiple injuries, Kim Min-jae started most games despite battling pain. However, as the season progressed, mistakes became noticeably more frequent, and his reliability was shaken.
Ultimately, Bayern Munich has begun to make changes. Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany reported that 'Bayern Munich has categorized Kim Min-jae as a candidate for sale. They are gauging the interest from other clubs and are prepared to allow a transfer if a reasonable offer comes in.'
Bild added, 'The addition of Jonathan Tah could lead to a reduced position for Kim Min-jae. Internally, discussions about Kim Min-jae's situation are already underway, and they plan to actively review any proposals that come in.'
In fact, Bayern Munich is also simultaneously moving to construct its next defensive line. After Thomas Araujo from Portugal's Benfica, Renato Veiga (Chelsea) has recently emerged as a strong target. European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano reported that 'Bayern Munich has created a list of four candidates to strengthen the center-back position, and Veiga is at the top of that list. However, the timing of negotiations and Kim Min-jae's transfer status are variables.'
However, the decisive issue is that while transfer rumors are abundant, there are no 'official offers.' Germany's Merkur reported, 'Kim Min-jae is still included on the sale list, but no specific proposals have been made by any clubs yet. Bayern Munich has set a transfer fee of 50 million euros (about 80 billion won), but a transfer can only happen if there is demand. If there are no offers at this time, the possibility of him remaining cannot be ruled out.'
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