Manchester City and Manchester United could go head-to-head to sign Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae this summer. The South Korean centre-back has been one of the revelations of the season, joining the Partenopei from Fenerbahce in the 2022 transfer window and quickly becoming one of the best defenders of the current Serie A campaign.
Calciomercato claim that that City and United are both very interested in Kim, following his impressive performances in the league and Champions League, and both sides are considering offers for the defender.
For his part, the 26-year-old has repeatedly reiterated that he is happy in Naples, having formed a close bond with the city and his new teammates since first arriving last summer. In an effort to beat Rennes to his signature last July, Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli had to agree to a series of contract clauses which were imposed by his agent. Calciomercato report that the most ‘dangerous’ of these is the €45-50 million release clause which is valid only for teams outside Italy, and exercisable in the first two weeks of July; Something that City and United are both ‘concretely’ evaluating.
Despite the reports, Napoli are convinced that Kim will remain at Napoli for at least another season, but ‘an experienced manager like Giuntoli’ is aware, however, ‘that nothing is taken for granted in football’. As such, he has intensified contacts with Evan N’Dicka: the French center-back will leave Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer and can move for free. There is still a difference between what Napoli are reportedly offering and the players demands, as N’Dicka is asking for a €5 million salary, but there is a ‘common will’ to deepen the discussion in the coming days.
