Sky Journalist – ‘I will join in summer’ – Man United prepare bid for £52m “iron barrel”, he’d be the perfect Martinez partner

The Old Trafford club is contemplating a summer bid for the Napoli center-back.

Manchester United is reportedly considering a summer transfer offer for Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae as Erik ten Hag looks to reinforce his defense.

What’s the latest on Kim Min-jae’s potential move to Manchester United?
According to Corriere dello Sport, United are planning to launch a €60 million (£52 million) bid to bring the defender to Old Trafford this summer, a move that would “blow their competitors out of the water.”

Kim’s contract now includes a €45 million (£40 million) release clause that can be triggered by teams between July 1 and 15, but United is hoping to jump ahead of the pack by making a larger bid.

How might Kim Min-Jae fit into Man United’s lineup?
Lisandro Martinez has been one of the Red Devils’ star players this season, with the center-back proving to be Ten Hag’s best signing.

The 25-year-old has a Sofascore rating of 7.1 from 27 Premier League outings, and it’s no surprise that the Argentine’s injury has put him out for the rest of the season.

He ranks second on the team in clearances per game (3.6), fourth in interceptions (1.2), and fifth in tackles (2.0), demonstrating his effectiveness this season.

Ten Hag will be aiming to provide him with a trustworthy partner for 2023/24, with Harry Maguire clearly not up to the requisite quality, most notably committing a dreadful error in the Europa League defeat to Sevilla, which only rounded off a turbulent tenure in Manchester for the club’s skipper.

Meanwhile, Raphael Varane has missed 32 games due to injury since the start of last season, indicating that a more dependable player is required.

The South Korean might be his ideal partner, especially after a fantastic season with Napoli, where he led them to their first Serie A victory since 1990.

So far in 33 league games, the 26-year-old has kept 14 clean sheets, made 1.6 tackles and 3.6 clearances per game, and won 4.7 duels each match – a success rate of 63%. –

Throughout Napoli’s historic season, he has been an absolute rock at the heart of their defense, but he is also no slouch in possession, averaging 91.3 touches per game and completing 91% of his passes.

The ball-playing ability of the center-back is unrivaled, and this might allow him to thrive alongside Martinez, launching assaults from deep and being quite comfortable on the ball.

It’s little surprise that he’s been branded an “iron barrel” by colleague Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and his stock has risen throughout his one season in Italy’s top division.

Ten Hag must act quickly to bring the defender to Manchester, as he and Martinez might create a fantastic pair in 2023/24.