The confirmation of the change seemed to be just a formality anyway, and early on Tuesday evening FC Bayern finally let the cat out of the bag: As expected, the German champions signed central defender Min-jae Kim. The South Korean moves to Munich from the Italian champions SSC Napoli.
As FC Bayern officially confirmed, Kim has signed a long-term contract until 2028. He had already been spotted in Munich on Tuesday morning and said goodbye to the Tifosi from Naples in emotional words shortly before the club announced on social media.
CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen officially announced the commitment on Tuesday and expressed his delight at the transfer coup of the German record champions.
“Min-jae Kim has made a great development, most recently winning the Italian championship with SSC Napoli and being voted the best defender in Serie A. He impresses with his physical presence as well as his mentality and speed. We are happy that he can get straight into the preparations and we are convinced that he will inspire our fans with his style of play,” said Dreesen in the club’s statement.
The 26-year-old himself described FC Bayern as no less than “every footballer’s dream”. He is looking forward to everything that awaits him in Munich and the German Bundesliga from now on.
Kim receives shirt number 3 at FC Bayern
“For me it means a fresh start, I will continue to develop here. In the talks with the club, it was clear from the start that there was great interest in me. My first goal is to play a lot of games. In addition, I want to I win as many titles as possible”, the South Korean was quoted as saying with ambitious goals.
He only switched from Fenerbahce Istanbul to SSC Napoli in the summer of 2022 and, as the undisputed chief of defense, led the team to the first Italian championship in 33 years. Nicknamed the “Monster” in the Italian media for his uncompromising and passionate style of play, he was hugely popular with Napoli supporters.
According to consistent reports, FC Bayern will pay the contractually agreed release clause of 50 million euros to Napoli. From now on, Min-jae Kim will wear shirt number 3 for the Munich team.