Napoli are set to sign Kim Min Jae as the replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly in the coming days. The South Korean will be joining the Serie A side from Turkish club Fenerbahce.
The transfer fee agreed between the two clubs is worth €19.5 million. Moreover, a release clause worth €45 million has been included in his contract, which will only be valid for clubs outside Italy. Napoli have done this to prevent fellow Italian clubs from signing their top talents, such as Gonzalo Higuain in 2016.
Kim Min Jae transfer hijacked by Napoli
The centre-back was expected to join Rennes from Fenerbahce, but the deal has been hijacked by Napoli. The player has agreed to the move and will be completing his medicals for the transfer very soon. Once the formalities have been completed, he will be signing his contract and will officially become a Napoli player.
Kim Min Jae stands 6 feet 2 inches tall, and will be able to provide the physical presence at the back that Koulibaly provided. The 25-year-old will be playing the highest level of football of his career with Napoli. But the confidence shown by the Azzurri indicates that he has what it takes to succeed at their level.
Napoli also fended off competition from Everton in order to persuade the player to join them. They will now look to build off of last season’s success, but the leadership and presence of Koulibaly will have to be replaced for that.
