Up to 110 Billion Won... Kim Min-jae's Transfer Value Soars Sky-High

PSG Joins Manchester United and Real Madrid in Pursuit
Top-Tier Club Buyouts Reach Up to 110 Billion KRW

Kim Min-jae clearing the opponent's ball with a header during the Round of 16 match between Korea and Brazil at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lee Gyehwa] The market value of 'monster defender' Kim Min-jae (26, Napoli) is skyrocketing. Following England's Premier League (EPL) Manchester United and Spain's Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has also reportedly entered the race to sign Kim Min-jae.

The battle to sign 'Kim Min-jae' heats up

On the 12th (Korean time), the British media 'Sports Mole' predicted, "Real Madrid will compete with Manchester United to sign Napoli's Kim Min-jae next summer." Sports Mole reported, "Manchester United had the opportunity to sign Kim Min-jae from Beijing Guoan for ?3 million (about 4.8 billion KRW) 18 months ago but gave up. At that time, Turkey's Fenerbahce signed him," adding, "Manchester United is reconsidering signing Kim Min-jae."

They also added, "Napoli may find it difficult to keep Kim Min-jae, who has a buyout clause of ?38 million (about 60.8 billion KRW). Both Real Madrid and Manchester United are targeting him." According to the buyout clause, if an offer exceeding this amount is made, Manchester United can proceed with the transfer without Napoli's consent.

Meanwhile, news has emerged that PSG has also joined the race to sign Kim Min-jae. PSG is a club featuring world-class attackers such as Lionel Messi (35), Kylian Mbapp? (24), and Neymar (30). On the same day, France's 'FootSur7' reported, "After failing to sign Milan ?kriniar (27, Inter Milan), PSG is targeting Kim Min-jae," describing Kim Min-jae as "a defender who quickly settled in to completely make fans forget Kalidou Koulibaly, who left for Chelsea."

In the Group H second match between South Korea and Ghana, Kim Min-jae is defending. Photo by Yonhap News

This season, Kim Min-jae left Fenerbahce and transferred to the prestigious Serie A club Napoli for ?16 million (about 25.5 billion KRW). Despite it being his first season with the new team, he quickly adapted to the Italian stage. Kim Min-jae immediately secured a starting position and has appeared in 20 official matches, scoring 2 goals.

Thanks to Kim Min-jae's performance, Napoli is leading the league (13 wins, 2 draws, 41 points), surpassing prestigious teams such as Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Lazio. They also topped their group in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). Napoli is reportedly preparing not only to remove the buyout clause but also to negotiate a contract renewal even though Kim Min-jae has been with the club for less than a year, in order to keep him.

The amount of Kim Min-jae's buyout clause increases with the size of the club's revenue. Italian football transfer market expert Ciro Venerato stated, "For clubs smaller than Napoli, the buyout clause can be lowered, but if a top-tier club like Real Madrid wants him, the buyout clause could rise up to €80 million (about 110 billion KRW)."