FC Barcelona's active pursuit of Kim Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich) is driven by 'tactical perfection' beyond mere team reinforcement.
Philip Kessler, a journalist for the British 'Daily Mail', noted on the 11th (Korean time), "FC Barcelona is targeting the acquisition of Kim Min-jae from Bayern Munich along with Dayot Upamecano. They are considering an early transfer," adding, "Barcelona holds Kim Min-jae's style in very high regard as part of their defensive strengthening efforts."
Kim Min-jae's potential departure is one of the hottest issues of the summer transfer market. When Kim Min-jae transferred from Napoli to Munich in the summer transfer market of 2023, expectations were high. His bold forward build-up and overwhelming physicality were highly regarded to succeed in the Bundesliga.
However, the reality was different. Under manager Thomas Tuchel, Kim Min-jae suffered from tactical mismatches. Tuchel preferred stable line control and possession football, which conflicted with Kim Min-jae's aggressive style. After a series of mistakes, Tuchel publicly criticized Kim Min-jae and showed a tendency to rely more on Eric Dier.
After Tuchel's departure, newly appointed manager Vincent Kompany identified Kim Min-jae as a key defensive player and actively utilized him. However, due to injuries among existing defensive resources, Kim Min-jae had to strain himself to participate until the end of the season. Eventually, he suffered from Achilles tendon pain, but Kim Min-jae committed himself to the team until the end. As a result, Munich lifted the Bundesliga trophy, achieving a successful conclusion.
However, the club repaid him with indifference. Despite being a key player in the Bundesliga championship, Munich classified Kim Min-jae as a sale target. Evidence of this was their acquisition of Jonatan Tarr and their push for additional center-back signings. According to reports from German media 'Bild', if Kim Min-jae leaves the team in the summer transfer market, there are indications that Chelsea is eyeing Renato Veiga as a replacement.
The club is even starting to apply pressure through interviews at the organizational level. Bayern's Director General Max Eberl also said, "Kim Min-jae is expected to remain with the team until the end of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. After that, we will assess the situation," leaving the possibility of a transfer open. With their exit from the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup, Bayern is essentially back in a situation where they would push to sell Kim Min-jae.
In this situation, Barcelona is keenly targeting Kim Min-jae. In fact, Barcelona believes that Kim Min-jae, who showed good performance in high-line tactics, perfectly aligns with their philosophy.
Barcelona is pushing for a defensive restructuring in the summer transfer market, closely monitoring Bayern's Kim Min-jae and Upamecano simultaneously. Director General Deco evaluated, "Kim Min-jae's build-up, tackling, and pressing ability perfectly align with coach Flick's tactics."
In particular, agile defenders like Kim Min-jae are considered a core piece in the backward build-up and forward pressing football that Barcelona aims to pursue.
In fact, Kim Min-jae has reliably anchored the defense in high-line football at both Napoli and Bayern. Coach Flick prioritizes aggressive pressing, quick transitions, and a high defensive line.
Kim Min-jae has successfully performed roles similar to Flick's system, such as high defensive lines, advanced positioning, and build-up play at both Napoli and Bayern.
Kim Min-jae, who supported high-line football at Napoli and Bayern, is praised for possessing Europe's top physical attributes, coverage, and build-up skills.
Naturally, Kim Min-jae is evaluated as a 'complete defender' who can adapt immediately to the Barcelona under Flick's system. In the previous 2022-2023 season, Kim Min-jae led Napoli to its first Serie A title in 33 years and was selected for the league's best XI and as defender of the year.
Even after transferring to Munich, he contributed to the Bundesliga championship and consistently played as a starter amid concerns of overuse. In the urgent situation of defensive restructuring due to potential transfers involving Araújo, Barcelona sees Kim Min-jae as the optimal candidate with both 'tactical completeness' and 'experience'.
Director General Deco has emphasized the principle to target only players that align with the team's philosophy and tactics, instead of unnecessary major signings.
Kim Min-jae is a rare 'elite center-back' equipped with tactical understanding, physicality, experience, and mentality required by big clubs, perfectly aligning with Deco's recruitment philosophy.
In fact, Barcelona is continuing internal discussions for the acquisition of Kim Min-jae even amidst financial constraints.
If Kim Min-jae wears the Barcelona uniform, he will make history as the first Asian defender to conquer all three of Europe's top leagues: Serie A (Napoli), Bundesliga (Munich), and La Liga (Barcelona).
The reason Deco and coach Flick see Kim Min-jae as a 'complete puzzle' is clear: because he is the ideal defender that Barcelona dreams of in terms of skill, experience, and style.
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