Munich, eventful, Kim Min-jae–Will the ‘Iron Pillar’ stay or go this summer?
Bayern Munich’s eventful 2023-2024 season has come to an end. After winning 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles and becoming the “juggernaut” of German soccer, the Bavarians finished the season in third place, behind only Leverkusen, who went undefeated this season, and Stuttgart, who suffered a shocking upset loss in the final. They failed to win any trophies, including the Bundesliga, and fell into a shocking state of ‘irrelevance’.
In any case, the season is over, and coach Thomas Tuchel has stepped down, as he had promised. While the search for his successor is still ongoing, domestic fans’ attention is focused on the prospect of Kim Min-jae (27).
For now, the analysis of German media is pessimistic. “Kim was not for sale, but now he could leave,” Bild reported. Florian Platenberg, a reporter for Sky Sports Germany, who is known to be well versed in the inner workings of Munich, said: “Munich are preparing to revamp their squad for next season. They are looking to sign a new center-back in the summer transfer window, which could see the departure of Kim Min-Jae and Upamecano.”
After leading Napoli (Italy) to the Serie A title last year and earning the title of Serie A’s best defender, Kim made the move to Munich after the season and achieved his dream move to a ‘big club’. Tuchel even called him to convince him to join the club.
After arriving in Munich with high expectations, Kim Min-jae has been a revelation. Immediately thrust into the first-team, he held his own even as fellow center backs Upamecano and Matthijs de Ligt were injured mid-season. The word ‘grueling’ has been applied to his full-time workload.
However, things took a strange turn when he was away for the Asian Cup in January and February, during which time winter transfer Eric Dier performed admirably, while Kim’s form faltered and he was eventually pushed out of the starting lineup.
The first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Real Madrid (Spain) was a crucial moment for Munich to lower their expectations 스포츠토토 of Kim. In a game that ended in a 2-2 draw, Kim had a hand in both of Munich’s goals to blow the game wide open. After the game, Tuchel singled him out and accused him of “greedy play”. The relationship between Tuchel and Kim has since been restored, but Munich’s view of him hasn’t changed. “Despite his sometimes impressive performances in Munich, his reputation deteriorated further after the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals,” according to German outlet TZ. Kim missed the final against Hoffenheim due to injury.
It’s also not good news for Kim that Munich are targeting several center backs in the summer transfer window. The Bavarians are currently in the hunt for Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, one of the key players in their unbeaten title run, while Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo has also been linked with the Bavarians. In addition, Salzburg center-back prospect Uma Sole is also reportedly of interest to Munich.
Kim Min-jae will be looking to compete for a place in Munich, but he could be pushed out at any time if the Bavarians land their targeted players. And if that happens, we may not get to see the Son Heung-min vs Kim Min-jae match that fans are eagerly anticipating in South Korea in August.