At FC Bayern, central defense is actually a chapter that they wanted to tick off early. With the contract extension of Dayot Upamecano and the signing of Jonathan Tah, the Munich club have fixed their supposed desired line-up for the center of defense. But behind the duo, an unexpected hanging game could develop in the summer – and the name Min-jae Kim plays a central role in this
As reported by SPORT1, Bayern bosses want a deputy of a comparable level behind Upamecano and Tah. Kim, currently number three in the hierarchy, does not fully meet this requirement profile from the bosses‘ point of view. Accordingly, the central defense is still an issue for the coming transfer period despite the supposed planning security
Bayern are looking at alternatives – but first they have to sell
According to the report, the Munich management are already looking for possible alternatives in the background. Names such as Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund, Luka Vuskovic from Hamburger SV or Yann Aurel Bisseck from Inter Milan are still circulating around the Säbener Straße. However, concrete steps are linked to one condition: Bayern must first sell its own players before it can take action itself
And this seems to be the problem: they are not desperately looking for a buyer for Kim, but the South Korean would probably be for sale if a suitable offer were made. Bayern would therefore at least be willing to talk – provided the economic conditions are right
Kim is not thinking of leaving
The crux of the matter: Kim himself is said to have no intention of moving. According to SPORT1, the 29-year-old has no intention of leaving FC Bayern. Salary is also likely to be a decisive factor here. Kim reportedly earns around €17 million per season in Munich, a sum that potential suitors would find difficult to match
Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur in particular have recently been mooted as possible suitors, with BILD reporting interest from the Premier League. However, given the financial dimensions involved, a transfer seems anything but simple. If interested clubs are not prepared to pay a comparable salary, any such thoughts could quickly be put to one side
Sporting director Max Eberl had recently emphasized that there was no acute need for action in defence anyway. „The squad planning in central defence for the new season is complete for the time being,“ explained Eberl, adding: „We have reached the point where we are not driven in terms of squad planning. We can take our time to decide what happens next.“
But precisely this calm could be deceptive. If Kim wants to stay and is not seen as the ideal number three at the same time, Bayern are facing a complicated defensive puzzle in the summer. One thing is clear: without movement on the departures side, little will happen on the arrivals side either. And so the supposed planning security could quickly turn into a hanging game.