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In a blow to Manchester United’s transfer window, priority target Kim Min-Jae of Napoli has reportedly decided on his future.
Florian Plettenburg of Sky Germany reports that Bayern Munich “want to finalise” his transfer in the “next few days”.
The reigning Serie A Defender of the Year is expected to earn around 10-12 million Euros a year in a transfer worth around 50 million Euros.
With that, the chances of United doing a late gazumping have become slimmer. The report states that the South Korean only wants to go to Bayern at this stage so no more twists and turns should be expected.
Min-Jae was reportedly a priority transfer target for Erik ten Hag, and he would have formed a formidable duo with Lisandro Martinez at the back. The club was in pole position to land him earlier, with Napoli also reportedly signing a replacement in David Hancko.
However, the club failed to be proactive and indicate their intention to bid, which is where the Bundesliga champions swooped in.
Bayern’s deal for the Napoli CB has moved quickly, which United left licking their chops at what could have been.
There could be some hope still for United fans, as the club similarly hijacked Olympique Lyonnais’ deal for Tyrell Malacia last year.
However, the big difference here is that the player now clearly favours a move to Germany instead.
While he would have been in a fight with Raphael Varane for a starting spot at Old Trafford, he would instantly be an undisputed starter at Allianz Arena. Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez are close to the exit door, paving the way for Min-Jae to make his mark.
Furthermore, Bayern are better placed in their project competitively than United, who showed the first signs of life under Erik ten Hag last season.
Still, some proactiveness on the club’s part before Bayern entered the fray could have made a difference and sealed the deal. Min-Jae will go down as another missed opportunity for United in a transfer window that is becoming full of those.
