Tottenham Hotspur may be “kicking themselves” having chosen not to previosuly sign centre-back Kim Min-jae at Hotspur Way, journalist Dean Jones has suggested to GIVEMESPORT.
The defender now plies his trade for Napoli, having made the switch from Fenerbahce for £16m last summer.
Tottenham transfer news – Kim Min-jae
According to Football Insider, Tottenham are planning to reignite their interest in Kim in the summer as they look to bolster their centre-back options for next season.
The 26-year-old has a £43m release clause for two weeks in July, but the same publication believes that the Serie A champions-elect will try and renegotiate this fee to be somewhere in the region of £60m to wade off potential suitors.
Journalist Rudy Galetti has previously told GIVEMESPORT that Spurs have been monitoring the situations of Kim and Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni.
But Jones believes that Tottenham will be frustrated they haven’t already signed Kim, having been recommended his services in the past.
What has Jones said about Tottenham and Kim?
When asked if Chelsea will feel frustrated that they signed Kalidou Koulibaly rather than Kim last summer, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “It sounds good in hindsight, but if you think about it at the time, Kim was at Fenerbahce. He signed as Koulibaly’s replacement at Napoli.
“I don’t think he was on their radar. His emergence at Napoli has been great.
“I know that Tottenham had been recommended him in the past. So, if anyone is kicking themselves, it might be them to be honest.”
Would Kim be a good signing for Tottenham?
Kim – dubbed as “extraordinary” by former Manchester United star Park Ji-sung – has been in exceptional form for Napoli this season and has been part of a defence set to secure the club’s first Serie A title since 1990.
The centre-back has made 35 appearances for Luciano Spalletti’s outfit this term, hitting the back of the net twice and providing a singular assist whilst helping the side keep 17 clean sheets.
The 48-cap South Korea international has achieved an average WhoScored rating of 7.15 for his displays in Serie A, ranking him as the fourth-best-performing player who has played over 1,500 minutes in the squad, indicating his importance to the Naples giants.
The 6 foot 3 star also compares favourably with his positional peers, ranking in the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for passes attempted (78.41) and top 11% for aerial duels won per 90 minutes (2.93) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.
Therefore, it looks as though Kim would be an excellent signing for Tottenham’s backline and would likely walk into the side’s starting XI from the off.
