Chelsea are weighing up a bid to sign Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae following their unsuccessful move for Jeremy Jacquet in January, in response to reports in Germany.
Kim has made 102 appearances in all competitions for Bayern since joining the Bundesliga giants from Napoli for €50million (£43.5m) in 2023 – a fee that made him the costliest Asian footballer of in history.
In that point, the 29-year-old has proven a useful member of the squad, helping Vincent Kompany’s side win each the league title and the German Super Cup last season.
Nonetheless, a mixture of injury problems and fierce competition for places means Kim has failed to determine himself as an everyday starter at the center of Kompany’s defence, with each Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah ahead of the South Korean within the pecking order.
The previous Napoli and Fenerbahce centre-back has made a complete of just ten starts within the Bundesliga this term. He has also made 4 substitute appearances for the German champions within the Bundesliga.
Based on Bild reporter and Bayern insider Christian Falk, Chelsea and Tottenham have been closely monitoring Kim’s situation and a transfer tug-of-war could break out between the 2 bitter rivals.
He claims each London clubs are ‘showing interest’ in Kim and have placed the experienced centre-half on their shortlist of possible targets ahead of the summer transfer window.
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Though well stocked at the center of their defence, Chelsea are known to be out there for a centre-back after losing out to Liverpool within the race for Rennes teenager Jeremy Jacquet last month.
The Blues reportedly agreed personal terms with Jacquet’s camp but were unwilling to cough up the required £60million to prise the highly rated 20-year-old away from Ligue 1.
Tottenham are also in need of reinforcements on the back but so much will rely on the club’s managerial situation come the summer following Igor Tudor’s appointment as interim head coach.
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The report adds that Bayern ‘could possibly be open to selling’ Kim should they receive a ‘handsome’ fee from a possible suitor at the tip of the campaign.
Though Kim stays ‘completely satisfied’ together with his role at Bayern in the interim, a big-money switch to the Premier League to hitch one in every of Spurs or Chelsea ‘can’t be completely ruled out’ at this stage.
Kim’s current contract with Bayern runs through to June 2028.
Earlier this month, Kim was omitted from Bayern’s squad that went on to brush aside Hoffenheim in a 5-1 victory on the Allianz Arena.
After his side’s resounding win, Kompany confirmed that the South Korea international’s absence had nothing to do with fitness issues.
‘There will likely be a rotation when everyone’s fit,’ the Bayern Munich head coach told reporters when asked to make clear the rationale for Kim being missing.
‘It’s not that somebody did something unsuitable. We want healthy competition.’
The Belgian stressed that Kim remained central to his plans while adding that the occasional absence here and there ultimately ‘meant nothing’.
‘The very first thing I said to the team in January was that we have now seven games in 20 days, so everyone will play and feel they’re a component of it,’ Kompany added.
‘Kim began the last game but because we did well within the Champions League, we’ll have fewer games in February, so we’ll must make less changes. Then, in March, we’ll be in full gas again.
‘Now this month, it’s about being skilled and winning our games. Next month everyone will feel included again.
‘Leaving someone out means nothing, it’s just a call you’ve got to make – there will likely be one other one after which one other. Today, it was Kim and next time you’ll ask me about another person.’
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