Five reasons why Manchester United should sign Kim Min-Jae

The defender would be a brilliant addition to the Red Devils ahead of the new season.

As the 2022-23 season reaches its conclusion, it is quite apparent that Manchester United’s defence needs reinforcement. Raphael Varane’s injury record and Lisandro Martinez’s long-term injury exposed the lack of depth in that area for the Premier League outfit. As per the reports coming out of Europe, the 20-time English champions are close to signing Napoli’s centre-back Kim Min-Jae ahead of the next season.

Erik ten Hag does not trust club captain Harry Maguire and has to employ Luke Shaw in the centre-back role alongside Viktor Lindelof who has his own limitations in the context of the physical nature of the game in England’s top division. 

The arrival of the 26-year-old can have plenty of benefits for the Red Devils. Here are five ways in which Kim Min-Jae will help Manchester United if and when the transfer reaches completion:

Replace Harry Maguire

Despite being the club captain, Harry Maguire is spending the majority of his 2022-23 season on the bench. He is jittery on the ball in the defensive third and does not fill Erik Ten Hag with confidence. His ability to lead the MUFC backline without making errors himself is under heavy doubt.

Reports coming out of the British football landscape suggest several clubs may attempt to sign Maguire during the summer transfer window. A transfer can benefit MUFC as well as the club will try to cut their losses with Maguire for whom they paid €87.00m to Leicester City FC. Kim Min-Jae can be a perfect replacement for the 30-year-old who must salvage his career by securing a move away from MUFC.

Add squad depth

Playing Luke Shaw as a makeshift centre-back is down to the fact that Manchester United has a lack of depth in its squad. Any club that competes in multiple high-profile tournaments needs quality players and a big squad. Injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez left MUFC’s defence in tatters.

Kim Min-Jae’s arrival will release the load on the shoulders of the preferred centre-back pairing. Luke Shaw can return to playing as a left-back and Viktor Lindelof will find a partner who can deal with aerial duels and cover for him. 

Provide backup in Europe

Manchester United contests multiple tournaments at the same time. The club competed in five different competitions during the 2022-23 season and played the highest number of games out of all teams in Europe’s top-five leagues at the start of May 2023.

Kim Min-Jae can be a great option solely for European competitions, be it the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League, depending on the club’s league position at the end of the 2022-23 season. This will distribute the burden evenly, protect players from injury and MUFC can utilize the defender’s expertise in European games well. His performances for Napoli in the 2022-23 edition of the UCL were impressive.

Improvement on current options

Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are the preferred centre-back pairing at Manchester United. Both are World Cup winners with their respective nations and form a strong team. However, injuries to the pair have shown why MUFC needs more quality centre-backs.

Viktor Lindelof is excellent on the ball but struggles to manage physically adept strikers whereas Harry Maguire is exactly the opposite. Kim Min-Jae is a definite upgrade over both backup centre-backs at MUFC and one that Erik Ten Hag can put his trust in to build from the back using his ball-carrying and passing skills.

A reliant figure

Erik Ten Hag wants his team to play a certain way. He expects the defence to retain the ball well in their own half and lure the opposition press to produce gaps in midfield. However, due to the jittery legs of David De Gea and Harry Maguire, playing out from the back has become a tedious affair for the side.

This is precisely why Luke Shaw is used as a centre-back but that limits MUFC’s wing play on the left flank. Kim Min-Jae’s performances for Napoli suggest he is comfortable with the ball in his feet. He carries the ball well and possesses good vision. He has only four yellow cards in 33 league fixtures for Napoli and makes 3.6 clearances per game - all qualities that will benefit Manchester United.