Seongnam FC’s promising center back Kim Ji-soo was connected to Napoli after Brentford.
The Italian media “Napoli Calcio” said on the 21st (Korea Standard Time) that “Napoli is looking around and thinking about Kim Min-jae’s successor. “In 2004, Seongnam defender Kim Ji-soo could be the ideal profile,” he reported.스포츠토토
He added, “He is expected to head to Brentford as reported by The Sun, but he will not be able to trace Napoli’s transfer attempt, which is currently advancing more to Asian football.”
Napoli began looking for a new center back last summer when Kalidou Koulibaly left the team. Kim Min-jae signed a three-year contract after receiving a love call from Napoli. Kim Min-jae immediately became a key player. Kim Min-jae has emerged as a top Serie A defender with his solid physique, fast speed, and judgment. His performance contributed to Scudetto for the first time in 33 years and was praised for his excellent recruitment.
Kim Min-jae has grown into a top European defender in one season. In the game, he is a defender, but he is especially noticeable, and is loved by fans for his active defense, bold advancement, and defense that does not spare his body. In particular, the scene where the decisive header of the AC Milan match Brahim Diaz is stretched out and blocked is still considered a famous scene.
But Napoli’s mistake was crucial. Napoli set a buyout of 48 to 50 million euros (about 642 to 67 billion won) when they recruited Kim Min-jae. However, considering Kim Min-jae’s performance this season, it is very cheap. In the end, it is receiving love calls from English Premier League (EPL) clubs with abundant capital. It is currently strongly connected to Manchester United and Newcastle United.
In the end, Napoli was in a situation where they had to recruit Kim Min-jae’s successor. Kim Ji-soo has emerged as a new alternative. Kim Ji-soo was born in 2004 and is a center back with abundant potential. Last year, he signed a semi-professional contract with Seongnam and took the professional stage. He was trusted by head coach Kim Nam-il to the extent that he played 19 league games last season.
This season, he played in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina, and his team did not play much. Nevertheless, Brentford, who saw his potential highly, drew attention. Brentford made such an aggressive move that he even submitted an official proposal.
It is encouraging to be connected to Naples in this situation. Of course, it is difficult to be sure that Napoli’s interest is very high in public confidence because it is reported by local media. However, we can see Kim Ji-soo’s potential and Europe’s perspective on him.
Meanwhile, Kim Ji-soo made a brilliant contribution to defeating France 2-1 in the first Group F match of the 2023 FIFA U-20 Argentina World Cup on the 23rd. For now, Kim Ji-soo is expected to focus on the group stage match against Honduras at 6 a.m. on the 26th (Fri) and Gambia at 6 a.m. on the 29th (Monday).