Kim Min-jae is leaving Napoli after achieving everything he could have hoped for in his first year with the club.
Napoli hosted Sampdoria in the final round of the 2022/23 Serie A season at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, Italy, on Friday (June 5), winning 2-0 with goals from Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Simeone. Napoli, who had already clinched the title, ended the season with a win in their final game.
The game was preceded by an awards ceremony. Kim Min-jae, Osimen, and Hvitsa Kvarachelia were honored as the season’s best defender, best attacker, and MVP.
Kim smiled shyly and clapped in front of the podium and posed for a photo after being handed the Best Defender trophy by head coach Cristiano Giuntoli. The crowd also showed their support by chanting “KIM! KIM! KIM!” in unison. After Osimhen, Kvarachelia and the trophy, the three players gathered together for a group photo.
Kim, who joined Napoli this season, has reached the pinnacle of his career within a year of joining the club. He was initially brought in as a replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly, who left for Chelsea, but he has completely erased Koulibaly’s presence with his outstanding performances. Fans and media alike, who were worried about the absence of Koulibaly, admitted that “Kiminjae made us forget about Koulibaly”.
Kim Min-jae was responsible for Napoli’s defense throughout the season. He started most of Napoli’s games. He appeared in all competitions, including 35 league games, nine UEFA Champions League games, and one Coppa Italia game.
His biggest strengths were his ability to dominate possession with his height and cover space with his pace, but he also impressed coach Luciano Spalletti with his build-up play.
His debut goal came just two games after joining the club, and it certainly made a mark. Kim formed a central defense alongside his best friend Amir Rahmani, and Napoli conceded the fewest goals in the league, reaching the top of the league for the first time in 33 years.
The whole of Italy was blown away by Kim’s performance, naming him Serie A Player of the Month just one month after he joined Napoli, and as he continued to perform consistently, they named him Defender of the Season.
Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo recognized Kim as the best defender in the league, ahead of AC Milan core left-back Theo Hernandez.
Kim was also named to the Team of the Year, winning all the awards an individual can win. He won the best defender trophy and the league title against Sampdoria. It was the pinnacle of his career just a year after joining Napoli.먹튀검증
There was nothing more to achieve in Italy.
Now, Kim is looking for a new challenge. He’s already been linked with a move away from Napoli this summer. Europe’s top clubs, including Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Paris Saint-Germain, have been in the running.
Local reports suggest that English giants Manchester United are in the running to sign Kim and have already held two meetings with the player.