From Chinese league to reigning Italian Champion- the journey of Kim Min-jae
May 06, 2023
Naples [Italy], May 6 : South Korean defender, Kim Min-jae helped Napoli clinch their first Seria A title in 33 years. Napoli drew against Udinese on Thursday in Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples. A point was enough for them to win the Scudetto.
Until 2021, Kim Min-jae was playing in the Chinese league for Beijing Guoan. Later on, he signed for the Turkish club Fenerbahce for 3 million Euros. After that, he joined Napoli for 18 million Euros.
By improving to 80 points on 25 wins, five draws and three losses, Napoli extended their lead over second-place Lazio to 16 points and clinched the top spot in the Italian competition with five matches to spare. With Kim manning the defence, Napoli has so far conceded the fewest goals in the league with 23.
Kim played a major role in Napoli's championship run in his first season in Italy. He is the third South Korean player to win a top-division title in one of the five major European leagues -- England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France -- after former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung, who won four Premier League titles, and former Bayern Munich attacker Jeong Woo-Yeong, the 2018-2019 Bundesliga champion.
Kim has started in 32 of Napoli's 33 matches so far. And he hit the ground running in the new league after Napoli acquired him to fill a huge hole in their backline after the departure of star centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly to Chelsea.
The South Korean, earned the Serie A Player of the Month award for September. He was the first Asian player to be so honoured in the Italian league. Then for October, Kim was named the Player of the Month by the Italian Footballers' Association.
A successful first season in Serie A has generated a ton of transfer speculation around Kim, who has been linked to everyone from Manchester United to Paris Saint-Germain to Tottenham Hotspur, which features fellow South Korean star Son Heung-min.
