Manchester United won their first major trophy in six years by defeating Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final at Wembley over the weekend and it looks like Erik ten Hag is proving to be the manager the Old Trafford side have wanted since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Just like Fergie, the Dutchman isn’t dwelling too much on success, preferring to look ahead to the future and strengthen his squad for bigger tests to come.
What is the latest on Kim Min-jae to Man Utd?
With the Red Devils recently linked with a move for Napoli defender Kim Min-jae according to Corriere dello Sport (via GOAL) Ten Hag looks as though he has identified a player who could improve his backline.
The defender has a release clause of £42m which will be activated for 15 days during the summer transfer window and this could be the ideal opportunity for United to strike, especially with his performances this term.
Would Kim Min-jae improve Man Utd?
The Dutchman is still undergoing his rebuild of the United squad despite recent success, and with the likes of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof not receiving as much game time compared to last term, another centre-back will surely be required once the transfer window opens.
The South Korean “rock” – as described by Matteo Bonetti – has been exactly that for Napoli this term as they eye their first League title in over 30 years. The defender has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.3/10 for his league performances, ranking him as the club’s fourth-best player this term.
He has kept ten clean sheets from 23 matches and won 63% of his total duels while making 1.7 tackles and four clearances per game, underlining just how important he is to the club.
He could form an excellent partnership with United defender Lisandro Martinez, with the Argentinian centre-back settling into life at the club with ease and the duo would be an excellent defensive pairing.
Indeed, Martinez is also ranked as the fourth-best player for his club in the league this term, while also winning 61% of his total duels, making 3.6 clearances and 2.4 tackles, becoming one of Ten Hag’s most important signings this season.
The duo have registered similar statistics this campaign with regard to pass completion rate (90% to 87%), tackles won (23 to 20), aerial duels won (66% to 54.9%), and interceptions (26 to 22).
Both Martinez and Jae also rank in the top 20% for progressive passes across Europe’s big five leagues so not only do they possess an incredible defensive ability, but they can start attacks regularly from deep.
Bonetti also described the Napoli star as “unbelievably good” and if Ten Hag wants to take his defence to the next level, signing him should be a priority this summer.
