The Napoli locals have realized that Kim Min-jae is leaving.
Kim Min-jae had one of the best seasons of his career in his debut season in Serie A. Moving to Napoli, the ‘bastion of defense’, there were many doubts about his ability to adapt to the Italian game. However, he quickly proved them wrong, securing Napoli’s backline with his steady defense and daring play. In the end, Kim’s solid defense helped Napoli win their first league title in 33 years.
He was also recognized for his individual performance. The Serie A secretariat announced through its official channels on Tuesday (Feb. 2) that Kim was named Serie A’s best defender for the 2022-23 season. In announcing the award, Serie A wrote, “It was a great debut season. Congratulations,” the organization wrote.
It was the first Asian to win the award. As part of the Serie A Awards, the Best Defender award has never gone to a winning team before, but Kim made history by becoming the first player to win it for Napoli.
In addition to being named best defender, Kim was also named best team. He was also named to the TOTS (Team of the season) list, which recognizes the best team of the season. After winning the league title, being named best defender and best team in his debut season, Kim has earned the title of best defender in Italy.
Now, his departure is becoming more likely. Due to his lower than expected buyout clause of €45 million, many big clubs have been targeting him early on, most notably Manchester United, who have been linked to him all season. The Red Devils actually sent scouts to Napoli to observe him.
Now, there is only one game left in Serie A this season. Napoli clinched the title earlier in the day and now face Sampdoria in their final league game at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, Italy, on May 5 at 1:30 a.m. ET. Kim Min-jae will be unavailable due to accumulated cautions, but he’ll be making his final appearance. 메이저사이트
There are also reports in Italy that the game against Sampdoria will be Kim’s last. Italian media outlet ‘La Repubblica’ reported on April 4, “Kim Min-jae will say goodbye today. Napoli cannot match the salary offered by United. United will pay him more than the buyout, which is also an attractive offer for Napoli.”
As of now, United are willing to pay Napoli up to £56 million ($91.3 billion) for Kim, well above the buyout clause, and promise the player a massive pay rise, which both the club and the player would find hard to resist.