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[이데일리 스타in 이석무 기자] A local report came out that Manchester United are showing an interest in Kim Min-jae (26, Napoli), a ‘monster defender’ who has been active every day after transferring to Napoli in Serie A in Italy.
CNN Turkai reported on the 22nd local time that “Kim Min-jae has entered Manchester United’s radar.”
The media said, “Minjae Kim, who transferred from Fenerbahce to Napoli this season for a transfer fee of €18 million, left a strong impression on the Italian stage.
“There are rumors that Premier League giants Manchester United will discuss a transfer for South Korean defender Kim Min-jae during the winter transfer window,” he added.
This report can be considered as a summary level of rumours. It’s been less than two months since Kim Min-jae moved to Naples in July. It can be seen that there is little chance that Kim Min-jae will transfer to another team at this time.
Nevertheless, such reports can be interpreted to mean that Kim Min-jae’s performance stands out. Kim Min-jae is showing his excellent skills after moving to Napoli from Fenerbahce, Turkey this season. He started in eight games, including six regular league games and two UEFA Champions League games, and continues his all-time performance without ever being substituted.
In particular, in the match against the defending champion AC Milan on the 18th, he played an iron wall defense while fighting fiercely with Olivier Giroud, the opponent’s front line striker. Thanks to Kim Min-jae’s performance in throwing his body to block the opponent’s decisive shot, Napoli managed to stop AC Milan’s wave and win 2-1.
Thanks to Kim Min-jae’s strong back, Napoli leads the league with 5 wins, 2 draws and 17 points since the start. They haven’t lost once since the start.
Kim Min-jae was also selected as a candidate for Serie A’s official ‘September Player’, which was announced on the 21st. He was also named in the top 11 of Europe’s top 5 leagues for the 2022-23 season published by Whoscore.com, a football statistics website, along with stars such as Lionel Messi and Neymar.
If this high march continues, it is very likely that big club love calls will soon pour in, such as Fenerbahce’s transfer to Napoli after one season.
