Manchester United could risk having to pay much more than initially anticipated for Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae following reports that his £39m release clause will be “cancelled”.
The South Korea international has impressed since moving to Italy from Fenerbahce in July and winning the Serie A player of the month award in September. His performances have attracted interest from Europe’s top clubs, including Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. The defender is part of South Korea’s World Cup squad in Qatar and helped them qualify for the round of 16 of the tournament on Friday afternoon.
As such, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is keen to avoid losing the South Korea International on a cheap deal and is ready to make arrangements that will remove Kim Min-Jae’s contract release contract, according to The Express. .
Kim Min-jae and company advance to the round of 16 of the World Cup! ?
What a story, congratulations Korea! ?? pic.twitter.com/ek0WWe9sd2
– Italian football television (@IFTVofficial) December 2, 2022
Manchester United are keen to bolster their defensive options, despite signing Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez from Ajax in the summer. With the news that they could be missing out on Kim for a fairly modest price, they may be forced to look elsewhere.
Erik Ten Haag is not expected to be very busy in the January transfer window, as the club spent over £200m during the summer transfer window.