It was a no-brainer that as soon as Erik ten Hag received the keys to his new Manchester United kingdom, he prioritized improving the defensive unit to begin with.
The previous season, United allowed a record 57 goals, resulting in the Red Devils finishing sixth and missing out on Champions League football in the process.
New centre-back Lisandro Martínez was recruited from Ajax and despite a difficult start, the Argentine certainly endeared himself to the Old Trafford faithful with his no-nonsense defending style.
United CB situation
However, with Raphael Varane’s injury problems and playing time lacking and the future of club captain Harry Maguire uncertain, the club are looking for a possible solution.
A host of centre-backs have been linked with a move to Manchester’s red half and Napoli star Min-jae Kim has been one of the biggest names.
Napoli central defender Kim Min Jae [linked with #mufc] It has a termination clause of about 45 million euros, which will only be active for about two weeks next July. [@FabrizioRomano, United Stand YT]
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) November 29, 2022
Currently busy with South Korea at the World Cup in Qatar, the 26-year-old has been one of the standout players in all of Europe.
And that has caught the eye of Europe’s elites and surprisingly the defender has a release clause of just €45m, a fee those clubs can easily match.
According to Calciomercato.it, Kim’s agents have received multiple proposals and “the feeling is growing that at the end of the season it will be goodbye” for the South Korean international.
Napoli trying to salvage the Kim situation
Among the heavyweights, United is mentioned as a club that has made scouting visits, while Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is said to be a big fan.
“It is known that Real Madrid has already targeted the blue central defender. Carlo Ancelotti likes Kim like crazy: there is also, however, Manchester United and in recent days PSG has also carried out an initial survey ”, the report also mentions.
The clause will only expire on July 15 and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis plans to offer Kim a new contract that will cancel the release clause and ensure Napoli receives a large amount in the future.
Interestingly, the chances of the defender leaving very soon have been increased due to the club’s foray into the market, where they have identified Fenerbahce’s Attila Szalai as an ideal replacement.
