Kim Min-jae has responded to transfer speculation linking him with a move away from Bayern Munich this summer.
The 28-year-old defender joined the German giants from Napoli for an initial €50m in July 2023 and has since made a total of 79 appearances across all competitions.
He was unable to lift silverware in his debut campaign at the Allianz Arena, but the South Korea international is soon set to celebrate winning his first Bundesliga title as Bayern sit 12 points clear at the summit with only three games remaining.
Kim has established himself as a first-team regular under head coach Vincent Kompany this season, with only three Bayern players making more appearances than the centre-back (43) across all tournaments.
Although Kim still has three years remaining on his Bayern contract, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the defender has a ‘concrete chance’ of leaving the club this summer.
Bayern’s No.3 is not considered ‘untouchable’ and Saudi Pro League clubs are said to have begun the process of making enquiries about his availability.
© Imago
Kim wants to stay at Bayern despite Chelsea, Newcastle, Saudi interest
A number of top European clubs have also been credited with an interest in Kim, including Premier League duo Chelsea and Newcastle United, the latter of whom are said to be working on a deal in the region of £40m.
However, Kim has expressed his desire to remain at Bayern as he has no intention of leaving the club at this stage of his career, telling Bild: “For me, there’s no reason to leave. I hope I can stay. But we’ll see.”
Kim has revealed that he has been dealing with a niggling Achilles tendon problem for some time, but he continues to play through the pain and hopes to be fully fit next season.
“I’ve been in a lot of pain for seven months,” the defender told reporters last weekend. “I just want to be fit next season.”
“The Achilles tendon problem is still there,” he added in an interview with Korean news outlet Leestar. “But I’m gritting my teeth, closing my eyes and getting through it.
“Mistakes, injuries, or too many games, those are perhaps just excuses. I still have to stay focused. That’s my job. I have to be able to deal with that. Mistakes were also caused by pain, of course. But ultimately, I should have played better.”
Kim is expected to be fit and available for Bayern’s next Bundesliga match away against RB Leipzig, with Kompany’s side needing just a point to secure the title.
