Manchester United Are Facing Competition For This Napoli Defender: Is He Worth The Fight? | OneFootball

In a recent report, Il Mattino stated that Manchester United are facing stiff competition for Napoli defender Kim Min-jae. It is understood that the Red Devils will have to rival Manchester City and Chelsea in the race to land the South Korea international.

Kim’s Impressive Form In Serie A This Season

Kim is experiencing a solid campaign at the Naples club as he has managed to put in several dominant performances for them on the defensive end of the field. The 26-year-old has featured in 43 matches for the Italian club this season, scoring two goals and picking up two assists across all competitions.

The South Korean defensive ace has proven his worth as a reliable presence at the back by averaging 1.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per 90 minutes in Serie A football. He has even taken care of the ball when distributing possession from inside his half, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 90.8% in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at Napoli is set to run out in the summer of 2025. Thus, it won’t be easy for Man United to secure his services on the cheap in this off-season.

TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 23: Mattia De Sciglio of Juventus- battles for possession with Kim Min-Jae of SSC Napoli during the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on April 23, 2023 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Manchester United Face Stiff Competition For Kim: Is He Worth The Fight?

Kim is a solid tackler of the ball and can sense the danger well to earn the ball back for his team on the defensive third of the pitch. He usually puts his foot through the ball when in danger of being caught out inside his half and is also proficient at playing his way out from the back.

Standing at 1.90m, Kim can be a dominant presence in the air as well. Hence, he will be well worth the fight, so Man United should consider going all out to land him during this summer transfer window.

At 26, Kim’s best years are ahead of him which makes him a great choice for the Red Devils to pursue this summer. He is good enough to enhance the overall quality of Erik ten Hag’s defence and could help the Mancunian side challenge for some major honours over the next few years as long as he makes a smooth transition to life in England.