Newcastle United have reportedly made an active move to sign Napoli defender Kim Min-jae before the end of the 2022-2023 season.

Kim has emerged as one of the hottest names in European soccer in recent years. In just one season with Napoli, he has become one of the team’s main defenders and helped them win the title. He was recognized as the best defender in Serie A. Kim Min-jae is looking to use his release clause in early July to make a move to the Premier League. Manchester United are said to be keen on signing him, which has sparked a lot of interest from Korean soccer fans.

It looked like he was on his way to the 먹튀검증 Red Devils, but something changed. Newcastle, backed by Saudi Arabia’s ‘oil money’, came into the picture. As the negotiations between United and Kim stalled, local media reported that Newcastle would “hijack” the deal with a huge salary.

But Newcastle’s interest didn’t come out of nowhere. The Sun reported that Newcastle had already held talks with the player’s camp at the end of last season.

The publication claims that Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is looking for another central defender despite the performances of Fabian Schurrle and Sven Bode, and Kim is the target.

The Magpies would like to sell captain Harry Maguire to complete the signing of Kim, but local reports suggest that Maguire has decided to stay put. Local Napoli outlet Calcio Napoli24 recently reported that Kim has already said goodbye to his Napoli teammates, as he is already looking forward to the move.