Tottenham Hotspur tried to sign Kim Min-jae before Napoli transfer this summer, reveals advisor
As per Calcio Napoli 24 via Sport Witness (h/t Football.London), the advisor to Kim Min-jae revealed in a documentary about Korean footballers that Tottenham Hotspur wanted to sign the defender before his move to Napoli.
The South Korea international recently grabbed headlines after his stellar showing in Napoli’s 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League. International teammates with Son Heung-min, Min-jae was linked with a move to Spurs this summer.
However, nothing materialised and he ended up moving to Serie A side Napoli after his €19.5 million release clause was triggered. His current deal at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona contains a €45million buyout clause.
His advisor, Ho Lee, revealed recently:
“Inter, Juventus, Tottenham, Rennes and Roma have tried to sign Kim, and many clubs have held meetings on video, but we wanted Kim to be able to play in a good team with a certain continuity, and that team was Napoli.”
If teams like Spurs, Inter Milan, and Juventus wanted to sign a player, then there must be something special about him. Min-jae stands at a height of 1.90m and his intimidating physique is a boon on set-pieces at both ends.
With 40 caps for his country, the 25-year-old has already become one of the mainstays for club and country. Surely Son’s presence at Spurs would have been a factor to consider in any potential deal but evidently, it wasn’t enough to bring him to N17.
