Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) is once again at the center of active transfer discussions.
Bild reported on the 16th (Korea time) that "Director General Max Eberl is considering player sales as significantly as acquisitions during this summer transfer window. Bayern Munich is looking to sell some key players to secure transfer funds, and Kim Min-jae and Joao Palhinha are included on that list."
Recently, there were rumors that Kim Min-jae could be heading to Barcelona; however, local reports in Germany have denied this. Bild emphasized that "there are absolutely no grounds for Kim Min-jae moving to Barcelona. Head Coach Hansi Flick does not want to acquire Kim Min-jae."
Kim Min-jae drew attention when he transferred from Napoli to Bayern Munich last season. At the time, Bayern Munich activated a buyout clause of €50 million (73 billion won) to make the acquisition happen, and he performed beyond expectations early on.
With strong physical attributes and quick defensive transitions, he established himself as a starting defender in the league, the UEFA Champions League, and the DFB-Pokal. However, due to participation in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup and consecutive injuries to fellow defenders, his performance declined from the middle of the season, leading to more time spent on the bench in the latter half.
The start of the second season went smoothly as well. Gaining the trust of Head Coach Vincent Kompany, he was back in the starting lineup alongside Dayot Upamecano, but an Achilles injury in October last year became a problem. As his performance visibly declined, German media consistently criticized him, and within Bayern Munich, there were cold assessments of "it's difficult to explain the decline in performance solely based on injuries."
Amid this, rumors of a transfer to Barcelona emerged. With Flick planning a reorganization of the defensive line after taking over as manager at Barcelona, Kim Min-jae was mentioned as a replacement as Ronald Araujo's departure seemed possible. However, the transfer speculation effectively ended when Araujo announced his decision to stay. Barcelona's serious financial difficulties were also a stumbling block. It was realistically impossible for them to afford the transfer fee for Kim Min-jae.
Nevertheless, Kim Min-jae's future is not entirely secure. Bild emphasized that "Munich is reviewing the sale of some players to secure transfer funds during the summer, and Kim Min-jae is still among the candidates for release."
However, there has been no official statement from the club, and Kim Min-jae is currently participating normally in team training and schedules.
Kim Min-jae is still regarded as a top-level defender in Europe. There is no disagreement on the point that if he fully recovers from his injury, he can perform as a starter on any team. Experts predict that he will have to make one of two choices this summer: regain his position at Bayern Munich to restore his standing or move to a new team to continue competing for a starting position.
Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano noted, "Many teams still want Kim Min-jae. A transfer is always possible if salary negotiations go well." It has been reported that Paris Saint-Germain, Galatasaray, Tottenham Hotspur, and even clubs from Saudi Arabia are showing interest in Kim Min-jae.
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