Man Utd now 'in the lead' to sign £52m star from European giants - report
Manchester United are ‘in the lead’ to sign Napoli defender Kim Min-jae this summer, according to Alfredo Pedulla.
The South Korean has been in fantastic form for the Naples outfit this term but it appears he could move on when the transfer window reopens.
Min-jae currently has a foreign release clause worth €60 million (£52m) in his contract and it is set to become active during the first 15 days of July.
United are one of the clubs that are aware of the buy-out option and Pedulla claims that they are currently ‘in the lead’ to sign Min-jae.
Napoli would ideally prefer to keep him after a wonderful debut season but there are ‘doubts’ whether the defender will continue with them.
Man Utd need Champions League football to land Min-jae
The Red Devils have been tracking the 26-year-old from his time in China and they are now prepared to make a genuine effort to secure his services.
However, a transfer may not be straightforward. Min-jae’s entourage recently hinted that Champions League football could be key for a transfer.
Meanwhile, a top-four league finish is also crucial for United to secure more funds. They could receive added revenue of £60m from just TV money.
There is also the competition from European rivals such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain who could scupper United’s chances of signing Kim-jae.
Hence, there is a long way to go before United can sign the centre-back. In our view, he would be a fantastic acquisition with his superb all-round attributes.
This season, he has a pass accuracy of 91 per cent in Serie A with over 3,000 touches. He has won 1.6 tackles, 4.7 duels per game while making 3.6 clearances.
Min-jae also possesses a superb aerial presence and has described himself as a ‘monster’. It would be a huge statement if they can beat the competition to land him.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
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