Napoli are reportedly pushing for the signing of Kim Min-jae.
“If Antonio Conte arrives at Napoli, he will be looking to strengthen the defense, including asking for a loan signing of Kim Min-jae, who has lost his place at Bayern Munich,” Radio Sportiva reported on its official social media accounts on the 16th (KST).
Napoli are currently in the midst of a managerial search. The club has already changed coaches twice this season due to poor results. Luciano Spalletti was fired for the poor results, and Rudi Garcia took over, but it didn’t last long. In February, Napoli made another coaching change, this time to Francesco Calzona. Calzona is in charge of the team for now, but next season will be with a new coach.
This is because of their poor performance. This season, they”re in ninth place with 13 wins, 12 draws, and 11 losses. They concede a lot of goals. The defense has collapsed. With 46 goals conceded this season, Napoli has the same number of goals as 14th-placed Elas Verona (48).
Conte is the next big name in football. Conte is currently unbeatable and has been linked to Napoli. Conte has a lot of experience in Serie A, having managed Inter Milan and Juventus. He”s a proven manager and could be a great addition to Napoli”s rebuilding program.
The media has mentioned the return of Kim Min-jae to revamp the defense. And for good reason. Before his move to Bayern Munich this season, Kim Min-Jae’s performances for Napoli were tremendous. It’s hard to believe that this was the performance of a freshman in his debut season at Napoli. His quick feet allowed him to cover the space behind the defense perfectly, and his attacking ability was incredible. There were moments where he carried the ball forward and even finished his own shots.
The numbers speak for themselves. Napoli conceded just 28 goals in 38 games last season. This is why Kim Min-jae was called the “iron pillar”. Thanks to his performance, Napoli won the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years last season.
The Napoli return speculation was fueled not only by Kim’s performances for Napoli, but also by his current situation. He was relegated to the bench in Munich. As Thomas Tuchel continued to play Eric Dier and Matthijs de Ligt, Kim was sidelined. In important matches, such as the UEFA Champions League (UCL), he was constantly on the bench. To make matters worse, he was even rumored to be transferred alongside Dayo Upamecano, who was also relegated to the bench. At the end of the season, one of the two players will reportedly be sold.
This isn’t the first time Napoli have been rumored to be interested in Kim Min-jae. In April, Italy’s Il Matino reported, “Napoli, which wants to rebuild its defense, is pushing to sign Kim Min-jae on loan. The return of Kim Min-jae is a dream for Napoli.”
Conte, meanwhile, has experience managing Son Heung-min at Tottenham Hotspur. He took charge of Spurs during the 2021-22 season and led them from ninth place to a fourth-place finish. That season, Son was the league’s top scorer with 23 goals. Conte publicly endorsed 토토 Son, who was one of the best goalscorers in the league. With a decent season and a reputation for using his star man well, Conte and Tottenham seemed like a good fit.
The following season, however, Conte began using Son as a wingback. The Premier League’s most prolific striker was now playing defensively. Although he appeared in the starting lineup as a winger, his actual role was to play lower than wing-back Ivan Perisic. Playing the previous season’s top scorer as a wing-back was not going to help Tottenham’s offense.
Without goals, Spurs’ position in the table plummeted. Conte was finally sacked in the 28th round of the league last season against Southampton. Poor results were part of the reason, but he also reportedly had a falling out with his players.
Despite his poor finish with Tottenham, Conte is still an unquestioned mastermind. He has a wealth of experience in Serie A and a great tactical mind. There’s a reason Napoli have been keeping an eye on him. From Conte’s arrival at Napoli to the loan move for Kim Min-Jae, there is a lot of interest in how things will play out.