Kim Min-jae returns to Serie A after transferring to Juventus
Juventus' interest in Kim Min-jae 27 was captured. On the 1st, Italian media La Repubblica said, "Juventus is aiming to recruit Kim Min-jae, and especially Juventus general manager Cristiano Giuntoli, who led the recruitment of Kim Min-jae during his time in Naples, is seriously watching Kim Min-jae's situation." Kim Min-jae moved to Munich in the Bundesliga last year in recognition of his leading team Napoli to the top of Serie A in 33 years. At that time, the transfer fee amounted to 50 million euros about 74 billion won and his contract term was five years. "I'm really looking forward to it. I'll play a lot of matches in Munich, win as many titles as possible, and continue to improve," said Kim Min-jae, who joined the club. In the early days of his transfer, Kim was recognized as a key player in Munich, a world-renowned big club. In fact, he started 21 of the 22 matches that Munich played between August and December, recording more playing time than rival defenders such as Upamecano and Diricht. It was after the 2023 Asian Football Confederation AFC Asian Cup that Kim Min-jae, who was doing well, changed his position. Kim Min-jae, who was called up to the national team during the season, complained of fatigue due to excessive schedule and was injured. Tuchel hired Dier through the winter transfer market when his condition was not improving after his return. Munich's performance improved steadily after Dier started. Munich formed a defensive line around Dier, and Kim Min-jae, the leader of the existing defense, was reduced to bench resource. Since then, the love call has continued mainly with Italian clubs who have watched Kim Min-jae's best performance. Last month, Inter's interest was frequently raised through the media, and this time, Juventus is mentioned. In particular, rumors of a transfer are accelerating after the second leg of the semifinals against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League UCL, where Kim Min-jae's painful mistake resulted in two runs. "Area Napoli" mentioned the possibility of a transfer, saying, "With the arrival of a new coach, Kim Min-jae may say goodbye to the Bayern Munich people." He also added, "The future of Kim Min-jae, who showed a miserable performance in the match against Real, may become more uncertain with the addition of a new coach." "It will be almost impossible for his former team Napoli to recruit him, but there is a possibility that he will move to Juventus, where Jiuntoli, a sports director who has strongly pushed for Kim Min-jae's recruitment in the past," he said. Jiuntoli, who has been the general manager of Naples since 2015, is like a benefactor to Kim Min-jae. Jiuntoli invested a large amount of money after recognizing Kim Min-jae's talent at a time when the doors of the five major European leagues were rarely opened, although he performed well in China and Turkiye. Jiuntoli's bold decision bore the fruit of winning Serie A and later moved to the director of rival Juventus. Italian media are paying attention to the fact and claiming that Jiuntoli can recruit Kim Min-jae, who has good memories of the past. Recently, a specific plan has been proposed to recruit Kim Min-jae. Italian media Il Martino reported that Juventus, where Jiuntoli is in charge, is ready to do everything in its power to bring in Kim Min-jae if Bremer, its central defender, leaves the team. However, he added that Kim Min-jae's annual salary approximately 12.6 billion won will be a hindrance and he may choose to rent the club accordingly.