Napoli defender Kim Min-jae has something ‘more than a promise’ with Manchester United, according to Corriere dello Sport (page 5).
The 26-year-old signed for the Naples outfit from Fenerbahce last summer, and he had a wonderful season at the heart of their defence.
The South Korean played a big role in Napoli’s first league title in three decades, but he is likely to leave the club at the start of next month.
Min-jae currently has a foreign release clause worth €60 million in his contract which could be triggered during the first 15 days of July.
Corriere dello Sport now report that Min-jae has something ‘more than a promise’ with United, but they don’t mention Bayern Munich’s interest.
Last night, Santi Aouna revealed that Bayern have almost reached a verbal agreement to sign Min-jae, and his agent will receive a huge commission.
Man Utd still have time to sign Min-jae
United were initially deemed as front-runners to land the centre-back, but the scenario has changed with Bayern entering the race for his signature.
Corriere dello Sport continue to insist that United are in the driving seat. In our opinion, the club still have time to persuade the centre-back to join them.
His buy-out clause only becomes active from July 1, and United have the opportunity to re-open talks with his representative over a potential transfer.
Bayern have gained the upper hand by offering a huge commission, but the Red Devils have the financial capacity to match the demands of his representative.
The big question is whether manager Erik ten Hag will have the backing from the club’s hierarchy.
A striker and a midfielder are the main targets for the club. A central defender is not a priority for now. Such a stance could see United miss out on Min-jae.
Min-jae would be a fabulous signing for the Red Devils. He managed an impressive 73 passes per Serie A game last season with an accuracy of 91 per cent.
He won 1.6 tackles and 4.6 duels per outing alongside 3.5 clearances. Min-jae would seriously push Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez for a starting spot.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
