Newcastle United have one of the best defensive records in the Premier League this season, but are still planning to improve at the back during the summer transfer window.
Eddie Howe is keen to sign a couple of defenders this summer, with a left-back and a right-sided centre-back being targeted.
Kieran Tierney is the first choice left-back, with the Magpies heavily linked with landing the Arsenal man. However, it is less clear who the club will target to challenge Fabian Schar at the heart of the Newcastle defence.
There have been plenty of names linked, one of which is Napoli’s Kim Min-jae.
Newcastle are big fans of Napoli defender Kim Min-jae
According to 90min, Newcastle are admirers of South Korean centre-back Kim. He is attracting a lot of interest ahead of the summer transfer window, with Manchester United, Liverpool and PSG also keen.
Kim is a man in demand after a breakthrough year in Serie A, helping Napoli win the Scudetto in impressive fashion.
His performances at the back have been exceptional, with manager Luciano Spalletti even describing him as the ‘best centre-back in the world‘.
That is why major clubs from across Europe are trying to sign the 26-year-old, and they might have a chance to do just that.
Kim has a release clause in his Napoli contract that is active for the first two weeks in July. It would allow teams to sign him for £43.5million, which is a major concern for the Italian side.
They are worried about his release clause being activated, and are trying to convince him to sign a new contract before then.
If Newcastle do decide to make a move and activate Kim’s release clause, he would become just the second South Korean to play for the club after Ki Sung-yueng, who was signed by Rafa Benitez back in 2018.
Getting Kim would be a much more high profile deal, and he has the ability to make Howe’s mean defensive even meaner.
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