Germany have confirmed the signing of Kim Min-jae to Bayern Munich.
After returning home from a successful season with Napoli, Kim joined a training center for basic military training. He was granted a military exemption after winning the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, Jakarta, but basic military training is mandatory. As a result, he was unable to be called up for the June A-match. He completed the basic military training and was discharged on June 6.
It is believed that he underwent medical tests immediately after his release. Normally, players go to their team’s facility or a local hospital to undergo medical tests, but Munich reportedly sent a medical team to South Korea to conduct the tests. The timing of the medical has divided opinion.
Fabrizio Romano, a well-known transfer market expert and “HERE WE GO” reporter, claimed that Kim Min-jae took the medical test while he was still in training. According to Florian Platenberg of Germany’s Sky Sports, he had six days to get out of the hospital, which was impossible considering he was traveling to Munich. The medical team from Munich came to South Korea to conduct the medical test, and Platenberg was right.
On the 6th (KST), Romano tweeted, “Kim Min-jae will soon be the new Bayern Munich player. He has completed his medical in South Korea. The buyout clause will be triggered.” “After the second medical today, Munich will pay the buyout to Napoli. This is the last step before the transfer is officially announced.”
Romano’s credibility is currently in question. German media outlet ‘Bild’ confirmed the report. ‘Bild’ said, “Romano also reported that Kim Min-jae has completed the first round of medical tests in South Korea. According to the information we have, it is true. He has long since agreed to join Munich. The buyout is 50 million euros. It will be activated if he signs with Munich,” the report said.
“A week ago in Lisbon, Kim’s camp and the Munich board met and agreed on a five-year contract. Munich have virtually secured Kim Min-jae. It is difficult for other clubs to approach him. The negotiations were led by technical director Marco Neppe. Nepe traveled to Lisbon to negotiate the deal. Head coach Thomas Tuchel was also in contact with Kim. “He is a dream defender for Tuchel,” he said.
“Luca Hernandez has agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). With Kimmich, Munich’s upheaval will slowly take shape. Kim became an Italian champion with Napoli and won two K League 1 titles with Jeonbuk Hyundai. He is Munich’s third transfer of the summer after Konrad Reimer and Rafael Guerrero.”
When he first joined Napoli, there were concerns. Despite developing into a top defender with Jeonbuk, Beijing Guoan, Fenerbahce, and the South Korean national team, there were concerns about acclimatization and big-league experience. It was the perfect move. Kim Min-jae was overwhelming. He fit right in at Napoli with no acclimatization period and became Luciano Spalletti’s first-choice starter.
He never lost a physical battle, and his defensive abilities were overwhelming, including tackles and interceptions. In addition, his speed, buildup, and forward movement allowed him to play flawlessly. Thanks to Kim, Napoli jumped out to an early season lead and won the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years since the 1989-90 season. They also reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the first time.
In addition to the team trophies, there were also individual honors. During the season, he won the Serie A secretariat’s Player of the Month award in September and the Italian Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Month award in October. At the end of the season, he was named Serie A Team of the Year and Serie A Best Defender. It’s safe to say he’s won every award a defender can win. That’s a lot of accolades.
TransferMarkt, a soccer statistics site, has set the price for Kim Min-jae at €60 million (about KRW 85 billion). That’s a lot of money. When he was first with Jeonbuk, he was valued at 1.2 million euros (about 1.6 billion won). Then, when he was in Beijing, the price went up a little bit, and his last valuation at Fenerbahçe was €14 million (about KRW19.5 billion). When I joined Napoli, it was 35 million euros (about 49 billion won).
He was finally valued at €60 million. That’s a 50-fold increase in price in just five years. He was ranked first in South Korea, third in Napoli, fourth among those born in 1996, seventh in Serie A, eighth among center backs, and 58th in the world 즉시지급.
Global media outlet ESPN ranked Kim Min-jae as the 10th best center back in the world. “He had 210 ball recoveries, a contested win rate of more than 60%, and contributed more than four attacking points,” said ESPN. In his first season at Napoli, Kim fit right in and played a crucial role in Napoli’s Serie A title.”
Kim was joined on the list by Alexandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Éder Militant (Real Madrid), William Saliba (Arsenal), David Alaba (Real Madrid), Josuco Gvardiol (Leipzig), and Jubeng Dias (Manchester City).
With Der Licht, Dayot Upamecano, and the fewest goals conceded by a German Bundesliga team last season, they were generally shaky and with defensive departures on the horizon, it was imperative to shore up the backline. Kim Min-jae was the perfect target after his monster form at Napoli. He also suited Tuchel’s style.
He doesn’t have to worry about dropping to the bench. The same argument was made during the Manchester United transfer speculation that he would be a third option behind Rafael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. It would have been the same at United, and it’s the same at Munich, where Kim is a solid first-choice option.
The German media agreed. “The central defense of the future will consist of Kim Min-jae and Matthias der Licht,” said the German ‘kicker’. Dayo Upamecano needs to play better if he doesn’t want to be the first choice”.
He also shared his assessment of Kim Min-jae. “On July 1, former coach Luciano Spalletti said: ‘Kim Min-jae is the best center back in the world right now. He does at least 20 amazing things in a game. When he kicks the ball and starts to break through, he is in the opponent’s penalty box area within five seconds,'” and shared Spalletti’s assessment.
He highlighted his passing ability. “He has similarities to Luca Hernandez in that he doesn’t compromise with his opponents, but he is also skilled in game structure. In 2022-23, he made the most forward passes (1,057) and the third most passes (2,547) in Europe’s top five leagues. He was also seven places ahead of Joshua Kimmich (2,233),” highlighting his sophisticated underfoot skills.
Germany’s Sport 1 expressed its excitement on Thursday, saying, “I can fully imagine the Europe of the future, where the defense is more important than the offense when Der Licht and the ‘monster’ Kim Min-jae are ruthlessly defending.” TransferMarkt and Fúscore.com also predicted the best eleven in Munich next season.
Kim Min-jae has almost completed his medical and will soon be a Munich player. The long transfer saga is nearing its end. We’ll soon see him playing in the Korean league for a mega-club, a club that is more than just Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Munich. Munich is the favorite to win the title. You can expect them to perform well in various competitions.