da dobrowin： Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae this summer – and the South Korean could replace £60m flop Marc Cucurella at Stamford Bridge.
Would Kim Min-Jae be a good signing for Chelsea?
da wazamba： According to 90min, Napoli could be forced to sell the powerful centre-back this summer, with Chelsea among those interested in bringing him to the Premier League.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all also thought to be in the running, while Chelsea are said to have sent scouts to watch the 26-year-old play this month – and could bring him to Stamford Bridge for as little as €45m (£39m) due to a release clause in his contract, which is only eligible in the first two weeks of the upcoming transfer window.
Since joining from Fenerbahce last summer, the six foot three defender has gone on to make 34 appearances in Serie A for Luciano Spalletti's side, contributing two goals and two assists with a superb 7.10 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
Reece James is currently ranked as the top performer at Stamford Bridge with a 7.07 average rating, which emphasises just how impressive Kim has been in his first season in Italy.
He also averaged a 7.20 rating in the Champions League as Napoli reached the quarter-finals, so clearly has what it takes to play at the very top level.
Former Manchester United man Park Ji-sung was full of praise for his compatriot earlier in the campaign, saying:
"Extraordinary, what a talent. He took the right step by going to play in Turkey and showed himself ready to take a step forward. He didn't come directly to Italy but step by step, so he grew up and there is no doubt that he is doing extraordinary things, as a technical leader and personality in Naples".
Teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also dubbed him as an "iron barrel" and described him as one of the best in the world, so he could certainly be a quality addition to Chelsea's squad this summer if he can live up to that praise.
Could Kim Min-Jae replace Cucurella at Chelsea?
One concern for Todd Boehly is the number of defensive options already at Stamford Bridge but if he were able to complete a deal for the former Beijing Guoan star, perhaps it could see Cucurella moved on.
The Spanish defender joined from Brighton last summer but has endured a difficult first season in west London, with WhoScored ranking him as the 15th-best performer in Chelsea's squad.
Often utilised as a left-sided centre-back, Cucurella hasn't looked comfortable at all in recent months and his lack of defensive awareness was cruelly exposed in the Champions League defeat against Real Madrid.
Given the competition for places at Chelsea and Boehly's demands for a better 2023/24 season, the 24-year-old is surely a prime candidate to be moved on this summer, especially if it can fund a move for Kim.
The South Korean has averaged far more interceptions, clearances and blocks per game than Cucurella so far this term, so would be a far more natural centre-back for Mauricio Pochettino to have at Stamford Bridge, making him a fine target Boehly should definitely try to sign.