Two years ago, Minja Kim was in the squad of Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League, yet today he has transformed into a stalwart of Napoli's defense and is on track to win the Serie A trophy. Crucially, the 26-year-old has managed to catch the eye of Europe's top giants with his impressive performances this season. As the season comes to an end, it is highly likely that he will join the giants, marking a quadruple leap from the Super League to Europe's top giants in just two years.
Minjae Kim has had a remarkable run over the past two seasons, going from center back for Beijing Guoan to a starter in Serie A. His growth trajectory has been remarkable. This season in particular, after joining Napoli, he started 27 league games as the team's starting center back and made eight Champions League appearances, becoming a key part of the team's title-winning campaign. His value has increased tenfold in two years, and he is currently valued at €50 million in the transfer market, with the actual transfer fee perhaps even higher.
In terms of stats, Minjae Kim averaged 1.6 tackles per game, which ranked fifth, and averaged 1.2 tackles, 3.8 clearances, 0.9 interceptions, and 2.9 takeaways per game, making him one of the team's double-winning heroes after excelling in both Serie A and the Champions League. As a defender, he also scored two goals and contributed one assist in the goal scoring department, and his headers were an integral part of Napoli's offense.
According to the British media, Liverpool has shown strong interest in Kim Min Ja, while Manchester United is also interested in recruiting the South Korean international, whose liquidated damages are as high as 40 million pounds. In the transfer market, such an amount of liquidated damages is almost uncapped, meaning that as long as Kim Min-ah nods, both Manchester United and Liverpool may sign the top center back. The 40 million pounds of liquidated damages is a temptation that is hard to resist for a top center back.
Although Napoli have yet to give up on their plans to retain Minja Kim, they still have two years left on the player's contract and have already begun preparations for an extension to boost their liquidated damages and salary levels. However, Napoli are slightly less attractive than European giants such as Manchester United and Liverpool, and Kim Min-a's eventual choice will undoubtedly be the deciding factor.
