Manchester United have enjoyed a positive campaign in Erik Ten Hag's first year in charge and stand on the brink of being able to secure Champions League qualification for next term.
The Red Devils have already achieved silverware in the form of the Carabao Cup and also have the chance to claim the FA Cup trophy if they can get past Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in early June.
Looking ahead to the summer transfer window, bringing in a few quality additions will be on the mind of Ten Hag as he looks to build a squad capable of taking Manchester United back to the top of the tree in English football.
Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane has been linked with a blockbuster move to Old Trafford and could provide the x-factor in attack that has been missing at times in 2022/23.
From a defensive standpoint, The Sun claim that Napoli man Kim Min-Jae could be on his way to the Premier League giants, with Manchester United said to be keen to 'table an offer' to try and entice the 26-year-old away from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
What's the latest transfer news on Kim Min-Jae and why is he so highly regarded?
The Sun report states that Paris Saint-Germain also have a keen interest in the South Korea international and have held talks with his entourage amid the fact that he has a release clause worth £40 million that activates in July. Manchester City are also keeping an eye on his situation, though RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol is their preferred choice.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones thinks that Kim would be a statement signing by Manchester United that could help to take them to the next level after hearing he could be on his way to Old Trafford.
Jones told FFC: "I just think having someone on that level would be hugely significant in terms of upgrading the squad if they could actually make it happen."
In 2022/23, Kim has made 44 appearances in all competitions for Napoli, registering two goals and two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.
ESPN estimate that Red Devils boss Ten Hag will have between £100-£150 million to spend on rebuilding his squad in the summer, though this may dramatically increase if a deal is completed by the Glazer family to relinquish their majority ownership of the club.
In terms of who Manchester United could upgrade on by bringing Kim to Old Trafford, Harry Maguire springs to mind as an obvious candidate, as he has been linked with a move to either West Ham United or Tottenham Hotspur, as per FootballTransfers.
Comparing the two players via WhoScored, Kim comes out on top in aerial duels won, clearances completed, pass success rate and average match rating, scoring 2.7 in aerial duels, 3.6 clearances, 91% pass completion and earning a match rating of 7.10/10.
On the other hand, Maguire comes in at 1.3 successful aerial duels won, 2.5 clearances per match, 85.8% passing success and being given a match rating of 6.57/10.
€61,731 (£53,637) per week earner Kim has also excelled in the art of passes attempted compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions, having tried an average of 80.23 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the third percentile for this metric, according to FBRef.
As per Tuttomercatoweb via OneFootball, former Manchester United favourite Ji Sung-Park was full of praise for Kim's qualities as a domineering defender, stating in an interview: “Extraordinary, what a talent." He then added: “There is no doubt that he is doing extraordinary things, as a technical leader and personality in Naples.”
Journalist Fabrizio Romano shared quotes from Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti claiming that nobody in the world is a better defender than Kim at present, which read: "Kim Min-Jae is the best centre-back in the world right now. Kim does at least 20 incredible things per game. When he starts the run with the ball at his feet, he can get it into the opposition penalty area in 5 seconds flat!"
Manchester United are set for a huge summer as they find out who will control the purse strings at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future and Kim would be a major signing to kick off a new era for the club.
