Manchester United have reportedly been in touch with the representatives of Kim Min-jae to discuss the possibility of signing the Napoli defender during this summer's transfer window.
The Red Devils are currently well-stocked in the middle of defence, with Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire all options for head coach Erik ten Hag.
Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones are also contracted to the club, although the duo's deals are due to expire at the end of the campaign, and they are both expected to leave on free transfers.
Maguire is also being heavily linked with a summer exit, having lost his regular spot this season, and his departure would open up space in the squad for another centre-back addition.
Man United have been linked with Kim over the last few months, and according to Calciomercato, the 20-time English champions have now made contact with the South Korean's representatives.
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The report claims that the interest from the Red Devils is 'concrete', but Napoli are attempting to raise the release clause in the defender's contract.
As it stands, Kim's buy-out fee is believed to be €50m (£44.1m), but the Italian giants are said to be looking to raise that figure to €70m (£61.8m) to protect his value.
The South Korea international has been in impressive form for Napoli during the 2022-23 campaign, featuring on 30 occasions in all competitions, contributing two goals and one assist in the process.
Kim, who made the move to the Italian giants from Fenerbahce last July, is also believed to be on the radar of both Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid due to his form this season.
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The defender started his professional career at Gyeongju KHNP before representing Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Beijing Guoan ahead of his move to European football.
Recently addressing his future, the 6ft 3in centre-back told You Quiz on the Block: "There are a lot of transfer stories around me, but I've only been at Napoli for six months. I've avoided interviews, and one of the reasons is that the rumours about me disturb me."
Kim has been a vital player for Napoli in Serie A this season, scoring twice and registering one assist in 22 appearances, with the Blues currently 15 points clear at the top of the table.
Meanwhile, he has played every minute of his team's 2022-23 Champions League campaign, including the 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their last-16 affair earlier this week.
Matt Law
