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Chelsea are among the clubs interested in signing Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae during the summer transfer window.
Bayern signed Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea on loan last summer and hold an option to make the move permanent.
However, the Bavarian giants are unlikely to exercise that option, although it remains to be seen whether the two clubs will conduct further business involving other players.
Chelsea looking for another centre-back?
(Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)
During the January transfer window, Chelsea showed interest in signing Jeremy Jacquet, who has since agreed to join Liverpool in the summer window.
The Blues have spent £222.4 million on defenders since BlueCo acquired the club in 2022, and they already possess significant depth in that area.
Chelsea currently have Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoît Badiashile, Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato and Axel Disasi as key options at centre-back, yet it appears they are still targeting another addition in that department.
Colwill is currently sidelined with a long-term injury, while Hato has primarily operated as a left-back, and players such as Disasi could be sold in the summer. According to BBC Sport, Chelsea are seeking a defender who is comfortable on the ball, capable of building attacks from the back, and able to add greater physicality to the side.
What is the current situation with Kim Min-jae
The South Korean defender has fallen down the pecking order behind Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah, although he has still been given fair opportunities by Vincent Kompany.
The 29-year-old centre-back has made 16 Bundesliga appearances this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
Min-jae is reportedly happy at the club, but Bayern could still consider selling him if they receive a suitable offer. While they are content to keep him as their third-choice defender, the Bavarian side may be willing to lower their asking price should the South Korean decide to move on.
Christian Falk explained the situation to CFBayern:
“It is TRUE: Bayern Munich would be prepared to sell Kim Min-jae. They already discussed the prospect of an exit last summer. The price is still a secret, but FC Bayern already know that they won’t get the money they paid for him (€50m [£43.6m]) from Napoli back in 2023.
“I think at the beginning of any potential negotiations next summer, they would be prepared to start at €40m [£34.9m]. However, if there was €30m [£26.1m] on the table, they would be open to talks. They’re thinking of bringing in a new defender if Kim does leave the club, otherwise, they will stick with the options they’ve got in central defence.
“They’re happy with Kim Min-jae as the third-choice option at centre-back, and the surprising thing is that the South Korean international is also happy with this situation. So, they’re not searching for interested clubs, and this would be the point: Kim Min-jae would have to be the first one to say, “I want to leave Bayern.” But this isn’t the case at the moment. So, it’s not so clear what any transfer fee would look like at the end.”
In recent weeks, Galatasaray have been linked with a move for Kim Min-jae, but the defender is not keen to move to Turkey at this stage of his career.