Man Utd star under serious threat after Ten Hag learns of £43.6m release clause only available to certain clubs

Another report verified the club’s interest in a Serie A standout who has a release clause that only specific clubs may trigger, so a high-profile Manchester United player will be sweating.

At the club level, Harry Maguire’s career is at a crossroads. The 29-year-old Manchester United captain has been replaced by Lisandro Martinez.

With Raphael Varane, the Argentine has rapidly built a strong partnership. It was no match for Manchester City in the derby, but few defenses are these days.

Martinez’s quick start has demoted Maguire to the bench, and there are no indicators that he will regain his starting spot very soon.

At the international level, he maintains Gareth Southgate’s trust. And, with England’s center-back ranks lacking in quality, Maguire looks set to start in Qatar.

However, any aspirations of regaining his job at Old Trafford could be dashed in 2023.

Manchester United are interested in Napoli’s South Korean international Kim Min-jae.

Last summer, the 25-year-old went to Naples from Fenerbahce in a deal worth roughly £15.6 million. Given his outstanding form in Italy, that figure already appears to be a steal.

Kim has already been recognized for his outstanding performances, having been named Serie A’s Player of the Month for September.

He’s already scored twice, and his steady play has propelled Napoli to the top of the table after eight rounds.

Tottenham, who were widely connected with the center-back over the summer, is not surprised by his abilities. When they failed to strike, Napoli swooped in.

Man United’s chances improve as a result of the release clause provisions.

According to reports, Kim’s contract has a €50 million (about £43.6 million) release clause. It can only be activated starting next summer, which means Napoli is safe in January.

Gianluca Di Marzio, a reliable Italian journalist, previously reported the clause can only be activated after one full year at Napoli.

However, new information about the specific nature of the clause has emerged, which bodes well for United.

According to the Italian newspaper Il Mattino, the condition can only be activated by foreign clubs.

That aspect of the transaction appears to have been arranged by Napoli in order to avoid strengthening a domestic competitor like Juventus or Inter Milan in the event Kim is poached.

The report (through Napoli Magazine) confirms Manchester United’s interest in the defender. The Red Devils, in their words, have “set their sights” on Kim for 2023.

Kim Min-Jae would cause problems for Maguire.

Ten Hag looks to be keen on the Varane-Martinez pairing. Maguire is the third-best option, but signing Kim would drop him to fourth.

United’s roster also includes Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, and Axel Tuanzebe. However, according to the Manchester Evening News, all three might leave next summer.

Tuanzebe was out of contract at the time, and there was no club option for another year.

Jones and Lindelof’s contracts both feature one-year options. Their contracts are set to expire in the summers of 2023 and 2024, respectively.

According to the Telegraph, Ten Hag has directed United executives to be more harsh in awarding contracts.

The Dutchman wants deals to be harder to come by because he believes his team will remain in their comfort zones.

If Lindelof, Jones, and Tuanzebe are all released, United will need to find a new center-back. If it’s Kim, Maguire’s prospects of returning to the starting lineup will be significantly worse.