Brought over from Napoli as a great promise, Minjae Kim is now in his third season at FC Bayern, mostly as a substitute. A possible departure could now be forced by two interested parties
FC Bayern’s impressive early form at the start of the season was guaranteed not only by their playful attack, not least in the hard-fought victory in Paris, but also by their stable defence. This is now threatening to break down: contract negotiations with the in-form Dayot Upamecano are dragging on, which is attracting interest from other top European clubs. Centre-back Minjae Kim could also leave the club. The South Korean, whose market value is €32 million according to Transfermarkt.de, still has a contract at the Isar until 2028
Following the signing of international Jonathan Tah, Kim has only made five appearances in the current Bundesliga season, starting in just two games. This is clearly not enough for the 1.90-metre man, who was nicknamed the „Monster“ during his time at SSC Napoli. In search of more playing time, the third most expensive defender in Bundesliga history, with a transfer fee of €50 million at the time, could be heading back to Italy
Top Italian clubs are courting Kim: „We lack someone like him“
As reported by tz, the potential buyers include well-known top clubs. Juventus Turin and AC Milan, among others, are said to be interested. The latter traditional club had already enquired about Kim in the summer, as the sporting director and former Bundesliga striker Igli Tare holds him in high regard. For financial reasons, Milan pushed for a loan at the time
The Italians apparently want to try again next year, but will have a prominent competitor from Serie A in Juve
An interesting aspect in Turin: Luciano Spalletti has been on the coaching bench since the end of October. The coach under whom Kim won the Italian championship in Naples and was also voted the best defender in the league. It is quite possible that this will play a role in the 29-year-old’s future decision
Club legend Massimo Mauro also provided further convincing to the newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport: „Juve are missing someone like Kim,“ said Mauro.
Despite the flattery from Italy, Kim knows that he is one of the higher earners in Munich and is valued by coach Vincent Kompany. A transfer would probably only come into question for FC Bayern with an alternative new signing in mind anyway.