Bayern Munich are reluctant to part ways with senior players in January, even though they are justified in seeking transfers for regular game time. The club hierarchy and Vincent Kompany believe a bigger squad will help them to manage games better in Ruckrunde and help Bayern compete on all fronts.
Kim Min-jae is one of the few Bayern players who are attracting interest from various clubs across Europe. Fenerbahce reportedly want to bring the South Korean defender back to Turkey, while there is interest from Serie A. However, the 29-year-old defender has made a decision on his immediate future.
According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports in Germany, Kim Min-jae is in no mood to look for a mid-season transfer. The South Korean defender is rejecting approaches in the winter as he is determined to stay at Bayern at least until the end of the season.
Die Roten are also content with keeping Kim Min-jae in the squad for Ruckrunde. It was a tough first half of the season for the former Napoli center-back as he was not the first-choice defender in the starting XI. Jonathan Tah has gone straight into Kompany’s preferred starting XI, replacing Kim Min-jae in the heart of defense.
The South Korean defender accumulated game time of 686 minutes across the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano have played the majority of games this season as the center-back pairing for Die Roten.
Kim Min-jae may have to look for a transfer in the summer
Bayern will be pleased to see Kim Min-jae showing determination to fight for a spot in the starting XI. However, it looks certain that the South Korean defender may leave Munich in the summer.
Since arriving from Napoli in 2023, Kim Min-jae has not delivered consistent performances over an entire season. He has largely struggled during the second half of the season. Al-Nassr, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus were linked with the South Korean defender in the summer, but he ended up staying in Bavaria.
With two years remaining on his contract, Bayern may look to cash in during the summer transfer window. Kim Min-jae will not be short of options. A move to Italy may suit him as he excelled in the league before joining Die Roten. For now, he will look to make the most of the opportunities he will get during the second half of the season and help Bayern win multiple trophies.
Stats courtesy- Whoscored