EPL: Newcastle considers hijacking Kim Min-jae from Manchester United
Newcastle United has reportedly initiated a move to rival Manchester United for Napoli defender, Kim Min-jae.
The South Korean defender has attracted significant interest this summer despite having a £42 million release clause in his contract which is only valid for the first two weeks of July. Kim Min-jae has had a transformational effect on Napoli. While the Italian giants were already closing in on becoming the top dog in Serie A, the 26-year-old provided the nudge to help them win the Italian topflight league title for the first time in 33 years. In addition, he has also been a pivotal figure for his national side.
Kim turned out 45 times across all competitions for Napoli last season and rounded it off with two goals and two assists.
The Sun reported that Newcastle has also held talks with Kim’s representatives. The publication reported;
“Newcastle are weighing up a move for Manchester United target Kim Min-jae. While Man United remain favourites to land the South Korea ace, Newcastle are also keeping tabs.
“SunSport understands that Kim’s representatives held talks with Toon chiefs at St James’ Park at one of their last home games of the season.”
The report also gave details of how Newcastle coach, Eddie Howe is eager to provide competition for Fabian Schar and Sven Botman as Newcastle prepares to play Champions League football next season.
Jamaal Lascelles, who is approaching the final year of his deal at St James’ Park, could be sold this summer. The Englishman does not feature prominently in Howe’s future plans at the club.
The Sun says that Kim will decide his future next month once he has completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. The 26-year-old wants to move to the Premier League after one season in Italy.
Manchester United has been the most interested club pursuing Kim Min-jae this summer. And it is hardly surprising why the Red Devils are keen on signing the defender. After all, Harry Maguire faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford. And he will likely leave Manchester United to resurrect his stuttering career.
It will be interesting to see how Manchester United will react to Newcastle being eager to land Kim Min-jae. With widespread reports positioning the Red Devils as the front-runners, the ball is in their court. And a summer move to Old Trafford seems likely for the South Korean international.
