Napoli replaced Kalidou Koulibaly with Kim Min-jae last summer - a move that reaped dividends as they surged to a Serie A triumph
One centre-back seems to be on every European heavyweight�s shopping list: Min-jae Kim.
At 6ft 4in, powerful as an ox and as swift as a flash, the South Korean - just crowned Serie A champion - has been a monster for Napoli this season. It is terrifying to think that, less than two years ago, Min-jae was playing for Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League.
What is probably more alarming for Chelsea is how Napoli only signed the 26-year-old due to losing Kalidou Koulibaly. After years of rejection, Napoli finally agreed to let a 31-year-old join the Blues, who were in desperate need of an Antonio Rudiger replacement, for �35 million.
Chelsea supporters quickly discovered that Gli Azzurri had already extracted Koulibaly's entire prime for themselves before discarding him at an exorbitant price. Their backup plan?
Ink the following Koulibaly.
Min-jae arrived as the next cab off the rank - showcasing the shrewdness of Napoli�s transfer acumen and, to some regard, exposing Chelsea�s. In the future, Todd Boehly should use the lessons he learned from the previous summer to adopt a cautious attitude and find top players before other teams may sell them for exorbitant sums of money.
For comparison, Koulibaly had a 64.1 percent tackle success rate in 2022�23 compared to Min-jae's 85.2 percent. Additionally, the South Korean has defeated his opponent (54.1%) by winning 63.6 percent of their aerial battles.
When both teams are considered, such individual numbers translate into gloomy viewing for Koulibaly. Even though Chelsea has only allowed 22 goals in the same number of games with the defence on the field, Min-jae still wins.
The Napoli player has kept 16 shutouts in 2022�23, allowing just 23 goals over 33 games to help his team win their first Serie A championship.
since 1990. European powerhouses trying to sign Min-jae for anything close to the �15million paid to Fenerbahce last summer will be told where to go.
There is no reason why gems cannot be discovered closer to home, so Chelsea would need to come up with an outrageous sum like they have in the past. With Mauricio Pochettino, a manager with a track record of developing players at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, potentially at the helm, Boehly has a guy he can trust with lesser-known players - saving him a fraction in the process.
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