The contract of “Iron Pillar” Kim Min-jae (27, Napoli) will not be resolved without a party. This means that everything will only be finalized once the player is in training.
“The key to the Kim Min-jae negotiations is that nothing will be finalized until he resolves his military service in South Korea,” European transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed on social media on Feb. 22 (KST).
Kim entered the army through the Nonsan Military Training Center in Chungcheongnam-do on Nov. 15 and is currently undergoing three weeks of basic military training. He was exempted from military service after winning a gold medal in soccer at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.
Because of this, Kim was not included in the roster for the national team’s two A-match trials in June (Peru and El Salvador). Kim won’t be released until July 6.메이저놀이터 That means he won’t be able to finalize a contract until then.
Kim has emerged as a top target for big clubs in the European transfer market this summer. He is credited with keeping the fewest goals as Napoli secured their first Serie A title in 33 years.
What’s more, Kim was named Serie A’s Best Defender by the Serie A secretariat last season.메이저사이트주소 With his strong physicality, he has made his presence felt with his excellent anticipatory defense, speed, and aggressive passing.
As a result, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Bayern Munich are among the clubs trying to secure his signature.
His price tag has also risen. His buyout clause, which was 18 million euros when he moved from Fenerbahçe (Turkkiye) to Napoli, is now between 45 million and 70 million euros (approximately 63.8 billion and 99.3 billion won). Nevertheless, big clubs are lining up to sign him.
The current leader in the race for Kim is Munich. German publications Bild, Kicker, and France’s Foot Mercato reported that Munich could trigger Napoli’s buyout clause and are considering a salary of up to 10 million euros for Kim Min-jae.
France’s ‘RMC Sport’ said, “Munich and Kim Min-jae are close to a full agreement. The Bavarians have recently informed several defenders they are targeting that they will not be signing him.”
“We have offered Kim a pre-tax salary of 17 million euros (about 24.1 billion won) and plan to pay more than 15 million euros (about 21.3 billion won) in agent fees alone,” the report added. This suggests that Munich is going all-in for Kim Min-jae.
That’s not to say that the Bavarians can rest easy. Pep Guardiola’s Man City, who won the “treble” last season, are also preparing to jump in. Up until now, City had only been interested. However, as the transfer market opens in earnest, they are slowly making moves.
Daniele Longo, a reporter for Italy’s Calcio Mercato, appeared on Italian radio’s Kiss Kiss Napoli on the 21st and said, “Man City and Munich have been battling for Kim Min-jae. Munich is still in the lead, but City is catching up,” he said.
Longo continued, “It’s a special situation. His agent first contacted Man United, then Munich, and then they agreed to a deal. And now Man City, who have been watching him for some time, have joined the race.”
“Munich are serious about signing Kim and have a slight advantage over their rivals,” Longo added, “but of course, the final decision is up to Kim. Any club can activate his buyout clause.”
However, Kim hasn’t put his stamp on it yet. “Munich is close to agreeing a personal contract with Kim Min-jae and his agents until 2028, as reported last week,” Romano said, but emphasized that “it’s still not signed or finalized. We have to wait and see.”
For now, Kim will just have to focus on his options in an overheated transfer market. The first clubs to express interest in him, United, Munich and Man City, could all offer him better terms and conditions.
The reason why Kim is able to take it easy is because of his buyout clause, which can be triggered between July 1 and 15. In addition, Kim is in training camp due to a unique situation in South Korea, which limits his contact with the outside world.
This means that a move for Kim could coincide with his release from prison. “Munich are close to agreeing a personal contract with Kim Min-jae and his agents until 2028, as reported last week,” Romano said, but emphasized that “it is still not signed or finalized. We have to wait and see.”