Napoli defender Kim Min-jae will join Manchester United in a straight-cash deal this summer, according to Italian publication Il Mattino.
The Red Devils have had a long-term interest in the South Korea international and they were initially interested in signing him from Beijing Guoan.
It is now reported that the centre-back will be on his way to Old Trafford this summer. The deal will only include cash and no players will be included.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has made it crystal clear that Min-jae won’t leave unless his £52m release clause is paid in one single payment.
Min-jae would be a statement signing
United presently have Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as the first-choice central defenders.
However, manager Erik ten Hag may want more quality. The Dutchman has had the luxury of rotating players in the Europa League but won’t be able to do so in the Champions League with better opposition.
The extra workload could lead to fatigue and more injury concerns. With Varane being injury-prone throughout his career, the Red Devils boss may want a solid replacement ahead of next season.
Victor Lindelof has fared impressively over the past few weeks but Min-jae would be a solid upgrade on the Swede with his better ball-playing ability, positioning and strong presence in the box.
In his debut Serie A campaign, the South Korean has completed 73 passes per game while registering 1.6 tackles and 3.6 clearances. The 26-year-old has won nearly five duels per appearance.
In our view, Min-jae would be a statement signing for United. It appears he has made his mind to move to Old Trafford but United will have to wait until July 1 to trigger his buy-out clause.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
