Min-Jae Kim (26) is scheduled to join FC Bayern after his military service in South Korea. How he helps the German master – a small analysis.
On the pitch is over with niceness: Min-Jae Kim. IMAGO/sportphoto24
It wasn’t planned, but unexpected things happen quite often. A centre-back was originally missing from Bayern’s shopping list until Lucas Hernandez received an offer from Paris Saint-Germain and quickly told the dressing room that he would accept it. When Bayern found out they wanted to change their record purchase, they acted.
If one goes, a new one has to come. Even though Hernandez missed the entire second half of the season with a cruciate ligament tear, he left a lasting impression on Thomas Tuchel. The coach had firmly planned the 2018 world champion, but then quickly had an alternative in mind – in Italy.
He does at least 20 incredible things per game.
Napoli’s champion coach Luciano Spalletti
Min-Jae Kim has risen to prominence at SSC Napoli, been a pillar on the road to their first Scudetto since 1990 and, La Liga opponents agree, was “quite rightly” named Defender of the Season. “He’s the best central defender in the world at the moment,” master trainer Luciano Spalletti even trumpeted in March. “He does at least 20 incredible things a game. If he starts walking with the ball at his feet, he’s in the penalty area within five seconds.”
“Relatively complete central defender” with little experience
The 1.90 meter tall and beefy central defender impresses with “excessive speed” despite his size and power, as one source summarizes. “He’s a beast, really fast and incredibly strong in tackles, also good on the ball. So a relatively complete central defender. That could go well together.”
Kim has hardly any experience at the absolute top level. Raised in a small port town on the south coast of South Korea, Kim made the jump to the U-17 national team in 2012 and struggled in the domestic K League until he was 22. In January 2019, Kim moved to Beijing Guoan in China for around five million euros, two and a half years later to Fenerbahce in Istanbul for three million euros and again just one season later to SSC in southern Italy.
Pass quality higher than with Kimmich
Kim didn’t need any time to settle in, quickly forgot about club icon Kalidou Koulibaly’s (now in Saudi Arabia) move to Chelsea and already received the Serie A Player of the Month award in September. Kim made no mistakes, he consistently performed and left behind quickly makes his mark outside of the field, was always considered a very modest and popular contact person in the dressing room, and is also committed to social causes.
Also has great qualities in passing: Min-Jae Kim. IMAGO/LaPresse
It’s only on the field that niceness is over, it’s not without reason that Kim is nicknamed “Monster” in his home country. The now 26-year-old roars uncompromisingly into duels, bringing with him certain similarities to Hernandez in this respect, but unlike his supposed predecessor, he also has qualities in the game structure. In Europe’s top 5 leagues in 2022/23, Kim was the player with the most forward passes (1057) and the third most passed passes (2547) – by the way, seven places ahead of Joshua Kimmich (2233).
Above all, the playful component has been completely missing from the undoubtedly already highly talented Bayern defense since the departure of Jerome Boateng and David Alaba. Matthijs de Ligt is a tackle machine and dangerous in front of goal, but also not a “playmaker” like Hernandez or Dayot Upamecano. This is most likely to apply to Benjamin Pavard, but he is also moving away from Munich.
A little relief from the back chain would be good for the last struggling midfield of the master and might calm everything maker Kimmich a bit.
Nobody got past Kim
Kim, who, like Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger, was not dribbled once by an opponent in the most recent CL season, should travel to Munich after the end of his mandatory military service on July 3rd at the earliest, complete the medical examinations and then sign a contract sign 2028. Bayern has an exit clause in their cards, they will transfer around 50 million euros to Naples and will probably spend about what they get from Paris for Hernandez.
Min-Jae Kim in a duel against Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani. IMAGO/Jan Huebner
If nothing unexpected happens, Kim comes to Munich with an advantage over his predecessor. Hernandez started at Bayern Munich in 2019 with a torn inner ligament and was then repeatedly absent with major and minor injuries. Kim only missed three games last year.
2023-07-01 08:33:49
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