Manchester United are preparing a bid to sign Napoli defender, Kim Min-jae.
As reported in Sport Witness, United are ‘warming their engines’ as they continue their pursuit of the South Korean international.
Min-jae has been in excellent form since his move to Naples in the summer, with Napoli flying high at the top of Serie A while having the third-best defensive record in the league.
The centre-half further enhanced his reputation with an impressive World Cup display, which saw South Korea progress to the knockout phase.
His performances have alerted the top clubs across Europe, with United boss Erik ten Hag said to be a huge admirer.
Although Ten Hag has his favoured centre-back pairing in place in the form of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, Min-jae would provide excellent depth.
Given Varane’s fitness troubles coupled with the amount of games United are likely to be involved in, the 26-year-old would have a huge part to play at Old Trafford.
There is a reported €50 million release clause in Min-jae’s contract which can only be triggered by clubs outside of Italy.
Napoli are desperate for the South Korean to sign a new deal in Naples in order to remove or increase the clause, with his market value only increasing by the day.
Any move from United will almost certainly come in the summer with funds tight going into the January window.
The focus remains solely on bringing in a striker to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, which looks like the only business on the cards in the next month.
This, coupled with the hopeful sale of the club from the Glazer family early next year, leaves the club short on funds and reluctant to sanction a high fee for any player in January.
If United do make the move in the summer, they are likely to face stiff competition with Real Madrid joining a host of Premier League and Serie A sides as potential suitors, should Min-jae decide to leave Italy.
