National team defender Kim Min-jae’s destination seems to be likely to be Naples.
According to Italy’s Di Marzio, Napoli general manager Cristiano Giuntoli said on the 18th (Korea Standard Time), “Kim Min-jae is a good player. We are chasing Kim Min-jae as if we are recruiting another player. I can’t say any more,” he said, adding, “I’m doing my best to recruit Kim Min-jae.”
In addition, Royk Tanji, a reporter who is very fluent in the French transfer market, said on his personal SNS on the 18th, “It has become difficult to recruit Kim Min-jae from Staderen.” The negotiations are not completely over, but Len is looking for a new candidate.
Kim Min-jae, who seemed to have almost completed the transfer of Ren, but the situation seems to have changed a lot as Napoli began to show an active attitude. Since the past, Napoli has been interested in recruiting Kim Min-jae. Naples, which also sought to recruit Kim Min-jae in the transfer market last winter.
However, it was difficult for Napoli to pay a large amount of money to recruit Kim Min-jae with Kalidou Koulibaly not leaving. When Coulibaly refused to renew his contract and left for Chelsea, Napoli suddenly began to actively recruit Kim Min-jae. Naples also seems to have immediately negotiated with Kim Min-jae by exercising the buyout clause.
Comparing the club’s history and current power, it is true that Naples is a much more attractive club than Ren. Ren was not such a strong team in the French Ligue 1 as he advanced to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the first time in the club’s history only in the 2019-20 season. It is a team that has been performing well recently as its power has strengthened. The following season, he reached the UEFA Europa League.
Napoli, by comparison, will play in the UCL next season. Last season, he was in third place in the league behind AC Milan and Inter Milan, but he is a team that can fully aim for the championship. Napoli, also known as Diego Maradona’s team, is a team that has won Serie A and Copa Italia. Napoli are also ranked 25th in the UEFA club rankings, but Ren is only 49th.
