SSC Napoli center-back Kim Min-jae is being scoped out as a possible replacement for Lucas Hérnandez, per a report from Foot Mercato’s Sébastien Denis (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). Bayern are reportedly open to offering a salary of €10m/year.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a sterling 2022/23 season with the Italian champions after moving from Turkish Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe. That meteoric rise has attracted Premier League interest too, however. Per the report, Manchester United, Chelsea FC, and Newcastle United are all eyeing the Korean international.
Can the Bavarians swoop in and secure his services? According to transfers journalist Fabrizio Romano, Kim is “a concrete name in the list” for Bayern.
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This would be an exciting get for the Rekordmeister. In Lucas, Bayern would be losing their best pure defender. In Kim, they’d get one of Europe’s most outstanding in that category from the past season. With a contract to only 2025, Kim is likely to move in this window while his stock is high.
But his stock is high. While Napoli purchased him for under €20m, his current Transfermarkt estimation is at €50m. He wouldn’t be cheap, and he’d still join a crowded center-back department with Matthijs de Ligt, Dayot Upamecano, and Benjamin Pavard — whom Bayern might be trying to entice to stay.
And unlike the departing Hernández, Kim isn’t left-footed — which may or may not be an important consideration for Thomas Tuchel’s squad planning. By comparison, there are Bundesliga options such as Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven and Frankfurt’s Evan N’Dicka.
However, if Bayern can lure one of Europe’s top defenders, and beat out a host of Premier League clubs in the process, it’s hard to say that would be money poorly spent.
Want more info on the striker debate? What about the rumors of Declan Rice to Bayern Munich? Well, look no further than our newest podcast episode! We talk transfers in this one, and it goes rather in-depth. Listen to it below or on Spotify.
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