1
Torrid luck in terms of injuries and loss of form have arrived to haunt Manchester United at the worst possible time as the team struggle to finish in the top four of the Premier League.
From being considered frontrunners for a place in next season’s Champions League to almost being caught up by arch-rivals Liverpool, things are going from bad to worse for the Red Devils.
With both first-choice centre-backs — Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane out injured and club captain Harry Maguire woefully out of form, manager Erik ten Hag has been forced to play left-back Luke Shaw alongside Victor Lindelof.
United need another quality CB
While the pair have done well, United need to bring in another elite defender considering Maguire’s uncertain future and Varane’s poor injury record.
The 20-time English league champions have been linked with tonnes of defenders but the favourite to land up at Old Trafford seems to be Napoli’s Kim Min-jae.
The South Korean has been scintillating in his first season in Serie A, guiding his club to the Scudetto after a gap of 33 years. Not many would have seen this coming after the club decided to part ways with former great Kalidou Koulibaly.
The 26-year-old has helped Napoli have the meanest defence in the league, conceding only 23 times in 34 games.
The South Korean international has helped keep 21 clean sheets in 43 appearances across all competitions. That is not all as he has also chipped in with two goals and the same number of assists.
As per Tuttomercatoweb, United want to wrap up the signing of the defender as soon as his release clause becomes active — in the first 15 days of June.
United want to wrap up Kim transfer early
“The Red Devils want to sign Kim Min-jae, Napoli star fresh from winning the Scudetto. According to Tuttomercatoweb.com, Erik ten Hag’s team could try to define the outlines of the negotiation within the next thirty days.
“In the first fifteen of June, in fact, the clause between 50 and 60 million euros valid for the defender abroad can be activated,” the report added.
The former Fenerbahce star would be the perfect addition from Ten Hag’s perspective as he can play on both sides of the defence and can pick a pass.
Follow The Peoples Person on Twitter or Instagram for all the latest news as it happens and to join in the conversation.