Manchester United are ‘desperate’ to beat Paris Saint-Germain to the signing of Napoli defender Kim Min-jae.
United have made the signing of the South Korean centre-back a priority for the summer transfer window and are working on a deal to bring Min-jae to Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old has a release clause of around £40m that will become active for a short period on July 1, but the Red Devils want to ‘wrap up’ a deal before then given strong interest from PSG.
The Sun are reporting that Erik ten Hag’s side are ‘favourites’ to sign the defender, who is keen on a move to the Premier League. However, Min-jae’s representatives have held talks with PSG over a potential move to the Parc des Princes.
Min-jae has emerged as one of Europe’s most coveted central defenders after an outstanding season at Napoli. The defender – nicknamed ‘The Monster’ – signed for Napoli in a £15m deal from Fenerbahce last summer and starred as Luciano Spalletti’s side won Serie A for the first time since 1990.
Min-jae leads Serie A for progressive carrying distance, touches and percentage of dribblers tackled this season, while he ranks second among defenders for aerial duels won.
Ten Hag views the Korean as an ideal addition to strengthen his backline, given concerns over Raphael Varane’s fitness and uncertainty surrounding the futures of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
