Man Utd ‘line up Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae in huge summer transfer’ as Ten Hag looks to strengthen defence
MANCHESTER UNITED are preparing a summer move for Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, according to reports.
Erik ten Hag is actively looking to strengthen his defence ahead of next season and the South Korean star has emerged as a potential addition.
Kim only arrived in Italy in July, but his form for Gli Azzurri has alerted the Red Devils.
He’s started all-but one game in Serie A and has helped Napoli make a blistering start to the campaign.
He furthered his reputation by starring at the World Cup as South Korea reached the last-16.
But Napoli have a £38m release clause on Kim, which puts them in a vulnerable situation ahead of the summer window.
United already have four centre-backs in Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
But they’ve struggled at the back with only Tottenham (23) conceding more in the top six.
Martinez and Varane have been Ten Hag’s preferred pair, but injuries have restricted the latter to just nine Prem starts.
As a result, TUTTOmercatoWEB claim the Old Trafford club are already putting plans in place to improve their options ahead of the summer.
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United face competition from Real Madrid though, who are in the race for his signature.
Prem rivals Tottenham, Brighton and Fulham are also interested in the highly-rated 26-year-old.