Could it be that a long shot becomes reality? Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) has been suggested to potentially appear in a friendly match wearing the uniform of Spain's La Liga prestigious club Barcelona.
Barcelona will face FC Seoul on July 31 at 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium and Daegu FC on August 4 at 8 p.m. at Daegu Stadium. Prior to that, a friendly match against Kobe is scheduled in Japan on July 27.
This is part of the preseason schedule being held under the name 'FC Barcelona 2025 Asia Tour Edition.' With Barcelona visiting Korea for the first time in 15 years and reportedly showing interest in Kim Min-jae, expectations are rising.
Philip Kessler, a reporter for Germany's 'tz,' claimed on the 11th (Korea time) that "Barcelona is showing interest in Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano (27) and has recently inquired about the two defenders."
He added, "Director General of Barcelona Deco highly values the strengths of both players, who possess the capacity for high-press defense and back-end buildup in line with coach Hansi Flick's style," and emphasized that "Flick is also known to have used a similar tactical approach."
In fact, Kim Min-jae and Upamecano are both center backs with strong forward progression. They apply pressure effectively from high positions and use their quick feet to cover for their fellow defenders' blind spots.
However, concrete transfer negotiations are not yet underway. Barcelona will only pursue the acquisitions of Kim Min-jae or Upamecano if Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo (26) leaves the team.
Additionally, Barcelona's financial situation poses a problem. According to La Liga regulations, Barcelona must sell existing players before they can register new ones.
Barcelona has consistently shown interest in Upamecano since before he transferred to Leipzig. However, as Bayern Munich and Upamecano have not reached a re-signing agreement, other big clubs are also closely monitoring the situation. There are significant financial discrepancies between the two parties.
After focusing on rehabilitation due to an Achilles tendon injury in the second half of last season, Kim Min-jae is reported to have regained his physical condition. Coach Vincent Kompany has given a positive evaluation of Kim Min-jae.
However, Bayern Munich's upper management informed Kim Min-jae in May that he could leave the team. It was said that they left the option of releasing Kim Min-jae open based on the premise of retaining Eric Dier, but Dier has already transferred to AS Monaco, and Kim Min-jae is now aware of the management's thoughts.
Ultimately, the possibility of Kim Min-jae transferring to Barcelona cannot be excluded. If Kim Min-jae wears the Barcelona uniform, the matches in Korea at the end of July and early August could serve as his debut.
Transfer rumors in the football world are a situation no one can guarantee. If the transfer goes through, it's not an impossible scenario. It is drawing the attention of football fans whether what is hoped for will turn into reality.
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