Napoli are hoping to persuade Kim Min-jae to sign a new deal at the club amid mounting interest in the defender.
Min-jae has had an exceptional debut season at Napoli after arriving from Fenerbahce last summer, with the South Korean centre-back impressing as Luciano Spalletti’s side won a first Serie A title since 1990.
The 26-year-old’s performances have alerted Europe’s top clubs and Manchester United have been strongly linked with signing the defender. Napoli will be powerless to prevent Min-jae from leaving this summer, due to the presence of a well-documented release clause in his contract.
The fee is understood to range between €40m and €60m, a figure far below his market value, and 90min are reporting that Napoli are ‘desperately’ trying to convince the centre-back to sign a new deal and remove the clause.
Manchester United are not the sole suitors for the centre-back, with Liverpool and Newcastle both interested and in the market for defensive additions. Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Barcelona are all also said to be monitoring Min-jae’s situation.
The defender will return to South Korea to undergo military service next month, before making a decision on his future. The clause in his contract will become active for a short period in July.
