Manchester United has one more card to play in its favor in the race to sign Kim Min-Jae.
The Red Devils defeated Chelsea 4-1 in the 32nd round of the 2022-23 English Premier League (EPL) at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, at 4 a.m. ET on Saturday. With the win, third-place United (72 points, 22 wins, 6 draws, 9 losses, 56 goals scored, 42 goals conceded) secured a spot in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the 2023-24 season.
Both the hype and the outcome of the big match were bland. United took the lead on a Casemiro goal in the sixth minute of the first half. They held on despite a 29th-minute injury to Anthony, which forced Marcus Rashford into action. Anthony Martial made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time. Despite Chelsea’s offensive changes, United didn’t concede a goal. In the 28th minute of the second half, Bruno Fernandez scored on a penalty kick (PK) to extend the lead.
Rashford rattled the Chelsea net again five minutes after Bruno’s PK goal. Chelsea escaped defeat with a 44th-minute goal from Joao Felix. The result was a 4-1 victory for United. With the win, the Red Devils took home a ticket to the UCL and will return to the UCL stage.
This summer, the club is preparing for a major reform and investment. The goal was to sell off surplus resources and bring in competitive players to build a team that could compete for titles in the league and in Europe. In order to get good players, they needed UCL tickets more than anything else. After winning the English Football League Cup (EFL) trophy and a UCL ticket, coach Eric ten Hagh has been praised.
They could be ahead in the race to sign Kim Min-jae. United wanted Kim despite having Rafael Varane, Lissandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, and Eric Bailly. With no reliable center backs outside of Varane and Lissandro, and those two being quite injury prone, reinforcements were essential. They parted ways with Phil Jones early on and are preparing to sell Axel Thiangueb, Bai, Maguire, and others to make room for Kim.
Other EPL teams have been linked to the player, including Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur. They can afford a buyout and offer a decent salary, but they don’t have a UCL ticket. After Napoli, his next destination is not in line with his desire to play at UCL. Man Utd also didn’t have a UCL ticket before the game against Chelsea, but the win secured their place in the UCL. The Red Devils have gained an advantage in the recruitment battle.
On the 25th, various media, including the British ‘Sports Witness’, cited a report from the Italian ‘Corriere delle Sport’, saying, “Kim Min-jae is ready to fly to Manchester United when the transfer market opens this summer. Kim Min-jae is expected to leave the club after a great season with Napoli in the Italian Serie A.”토토사이트
Fabrizio Romano, a reputable journalist who works for the UK’s The Guardian, also said, “Napoli failed to reach a deal with Kim Min-jae to renew his contract. Man United are really interested in Kim Min-jae. They have been observing him since November. We haven’t reached an agreement yet, but we are talking to the player’s side. He is a priority target for the club.”
Unless something changes, it looks like Kim will be joining United. Following Park Ji-Sung, we could see another Korean leaguer at Old Trafford.