Napoli, aiming for the top of Italy, is cruising. At the center is Kim Min-jae (27), the ‘Korean Monster’.
Kim Min-jae, who entered the Italian Serie A wearing a Napoli uniform in July of last year, quickly established himself as a key player in the team. Some were worried about him entering the big leagues. However, Kim Min-jae calmed the concerns by showing off a stable defense and build-up without fail.
Napoli is having an ‘everything’ season. Napoli, which had been running undefeated in the league since the beginning of the season, ended their undefeated streak by losing to Inter Milan on the 5th. However, they once again consolidated their lead by winning two consecutive victories. Napoli (50 points), who won the league halfway point, is 12 points ahead of AC Milan (38 points) in second place.
Kim Min-jae, who became the ace in the back, was a big contributor. Napoli (14 goals) ranked second in the Serie A category for the least goals, following Juventus (12 goals). Kim Min-jae’s performance played a big role in his steady performance without any adaptation period. Kim Min-jae showed stable defense even if his partner changed.
Five months after the start of the 토토사이트 2022-23 season, Kim Min-jae’s value skyrocketed. According to Transfermarkt, a site specializing in soccer transfers, the market value of Kim Min-jae, who was active in Fenerbahce (Turkiye) in January of last year, was 14 million euros (approximately 18.7 billion won). However, as of November last year, Kim Min-jae’s ransom is estimated at 35 million euros (approximately 47 billion won). It jumped more than twice.
Interest from the big clubs is also hot. Early on, there were reports that Manchester United, Liverpool, etc. were keeping an eye on Kim Min-jae. Tottenham, who put Kim Min-jae on the recruiting list in the past, is one of them. A number of English Premier League (EPL) clubs with good wallets are looking at Kim Min-jae, and the possibility of a summer transfer is emerging.
There is a release clause, so it is highly likely that many EPL teams will court Kim Min-jae. It is known that Kim Min-jae inserted a buyout clause that will be activated for 15 days from July 1 at the time of the contract with Napoli. If you pay 50 million euros (about 67 billion won), you can set up a negotiating table with Kim Min-jae regardless of Naples’ intention.
Napoli, which is in danger of losing a key player in one season, is in a hurry. According to local reports, Napoli will present a new contract in March to remove Kim Min-jae’s buyout clause. They want to offer better terms, extend contract terms, eliminate buyouts or increase prices.
Currently, the ‘key’ is held by Kim Min-jae. Kim Min-jae can either accept the better conditions offered by Napoli, or wait until summer before receiving offers from big clubs.
In Napoli’s situation, in addition to good conditions, ‘winning’ can be the key to catching Kim Min-jae. You can expect to be accompanied by Kim Min-jae only when he succeeds in reaching the top of Serie A after 33 years and achieves good results in the UEFA Champions League.