KIM-MIN JAE MOVE TO MAN UTD FULLY AGREED

 

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Kim Min-jae with details of his move revealed

Manchester United are on the brink of finalising their first signing of the summer after agreeing to meet the €60m (£51.6m) clause in Kim Min-jae’s contract.

The South Korean has enjoyed an excellent season with Napoli, who have won the Serie A title. Stepping into the shoes of Kalidou Koulibaly, the 26-year-old has proved himself one of the Italian league’s elite defenders.

As a result, Erik ten Hag has made Kim one of his priority signings for United this summer.

And il Corriere dello Sport (04/06/2023, page 3) claim a deal to bring him to Old Trafford is ‘done’.

United have informed Napoli they will meet the full-buy out in his deal, which becomes active for 15 days from July 1.

In the meantime, United are putting in the groundwork for the deal by holding a series of talks with the player. And the word from Italy is that Kim himself is ready to make the move, having informed Napoli of his wish to move on.

United will hold a fresh round of talks with Kim and his agents this week. That will see him undergo a medical and the documention signed and sealed. But for stipulations around his release clause, the deal will likely not be made official until July 1.

Kim has reportedly agreed a four-year deal worth £150,000 a week, keeping him at Old Trafford until summer 2027. United will also hold an option to extend the contract by a further 12 months.

Man Utd getting an excellent player in Kim Min-jae

Kim will come to Old Trafford looking to heap the pressure on Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as United’s first two centre-halves.

Martinez ended the season injured, with Victor Lindelof partnering Varane in the closing weeks of the season. And the Swede has done enough to suggest he is worthy of keeping with some solid displays.

However, United will now look to actively move on Harry Maguire as a result of Kim’s capture.

The United club captain will slip to fifth in the pecking order upon Kim’s arrival. That clearly makes his position, particularly as a £80m signing, wholly untenable.

Quite where he will end up remains to be seen, though Manchester United could use him as a pawn in a bid to finalise the Mason Mount signing from Chelsea.

Tottenham are also reportedly keen, though United will likely only obtain a fee of around £30m – a loss of some £50m

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzuFPvp7m7A&t=195s

In Kim, United will be signing a central defender of genuine quality, however. He completed an average of 73 passes per game, with an accuracy of 91 per cent.

His real strengths though lie in blocking opponents going past him. Indeed, he wins an average of 1.6 tackles, makes 3.5 clearances and wins 4.6 duels per game.

Furthermore, he also wins 63 per cent of his aerial duels, giving him the perfect physique for the Premier League.