Napoli still want Kim Min-jae

Napoli still want Kim Min-jae (28, Munich).

Italy's Il Mattino reported, "Napoli president is working to bring back Kim Min-jae this summer. A one-year loan move." After leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years, Kim is still a highly sought-after player.

Although he lost out on the starter's role in Munich, he is still an absolute force in Napoli. He has been linked with Serie A clubs such as Inter Milan and AC Milan, as well as his hometown team Napoli. Napoli would like to sign him once again to strengthen their defense.

The problem is the price tag. It"s doubtful that Napoli will be able to afford his increased salary. Kim's salary at Napoli was €2 million ($2.9 billion). Now, he's earning more than four times that at Munich, at €8.5 million ($12.5 billion). That's a lot of money for Napoli to invest.

Napoli's finances don't seem to be able to accommodate him. Even though Kim is out of competition in Munich, there is no reason to lower his price.

'Bavarian FootballWorks' reported on the 19th that "Dier is the favorite to start in Munich's Champions League quarterfinal. The unthinkable has happened to Dyer, who was on the bench at Tottenham," and predicted that Kim Min-jae would be benched.

Kim Min-jae also started from the bench in the last match. Bayern Munich defeated Arsenal 1-0 in the second leg of the 2023-2024 UEFA UCL quarterfinals at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on Monday (Aug. 18).  After a 2-2 away draw in the first leg, the Gunners advanced to the last four with a 1-1 draw.

In the second leg of the quarterfinals, Dier started and played the full match in a center-back pairing with Mathias der Licht. Kim Min-jae got his chance in the 31st minute of the second half, when he was swapped with Mazrawi.

Thomas Tuchel's prediction that he could use Kim as a left fullback came true. In the short time he was on the pitch, he played everywhere, helping Munich to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.

If Dier is unable to play, he will be relegated to the bench again. Tuchel still sees him as Munich's fourth center back.

Dyer had an impressive performance in the second leg of the quarterfinals, completing 93% of his passes (71/76), winning four ground balls (4/5) and two aerial balls (2/4), according to soccer statistics site Footmob. He also performed better than expected on defense, with two clearances, three interceptions, and three successful tackles (3/4).

Munich will now host Real Madrid on May 1 for the first leg of the quarterfinals. Once again, Kim Min-jae is expected to be pushed out of the starting lineup and Dier will get his chance.