Manchester United are making major waves in the transfer market and are reportedly set to make one of their most high-profile signings yet – Kim Min-Jae from Serie A champions Napoli.

The 26-year-old South Korean centre back has been one of the stand out performers in Gli Azzurri’s defence this season, helping them to a historic Scudetto win. His impressive display has not gone unnoticed by some of Europe’s biggest teams with Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain among his admirers.

But it appears that Manchester United have stolen a march on their rivals and have already begun talks to sign Kim Min-Jae. According to Foot Mercato, the Red Devils spoke with his representatives in recent weeks after becoming aware of a clause in his contract which would facilitate a move. Manager Erik ten Hag is believed to be driving the move forward himself as he looks for stronger defensive options at Old Trafford.

Kim Min-Jae is no stranger to European football having played for Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan before joining Napoli last summer. He quickly established himself as a key component of Gennaro Gattuso’s side, featuring 23 times during the 2020/21 campaign as they secured Serie A glory for the first time since 1990. His exceptional form earned him international recognition too, being named in South Korea’s squad for this summer’s World Cup qualifiers following impressive performances against Japan and Qatar respectively.

The potential signing of Kim Min-Jae represents an exciting opportunity for Manchester United who have been keenly searching for a long term replacement for Harry Maguire at centre back – someone with similar presence and leadership qualities alongside the experience and know how necessary to play at such a level like Old Trafford Stadium. As such, this deal could prove crucial in helping Manchester United bridge the gap between themselves and their top six rivals next season when they don the new Napoli jersey 2023/24.

In addition, Kim Min-Jae also brings versatility due to his ability to play both centre back positions – something that could come handy given Manchester United’s injury woes throughout last campaign which saw them deploy midfielders Fred and Scott McTominay as makeshift defenders on numerous occasions due lack of depth within their backline.

Furthermore, Kim Min-Jae is only 26 meaning he still has plenty years ahead of him at the highest level where he could continue developing while at Old Trafford under manager Erik ten Hag’s guidance – something that should excite supporters who have seen Manchester United struggle defensively since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013.. The Red Devils will be hoping that this latest development will help them build momentum ahead of next season where they can challenge both domestically and continentally again after years in mediocrity.