Bayern Munich have strengthened their defense with the contract renewal of Dayot Upamecano. The French defender was set to become a free agent at the end of the season. After complex negotiations over the last few months, Bayern finally announced Upamecano’s contract renewal at the end of last week.
Max Eberl has admitted that Bayern will be relaxed going into the summer when it comes to strengthening the options in central defense. The Bavarian club will keep an eye on the transfer market, but signing a new central defender is no longer a necessity.
Bayern’s stance may change if Kim Min-jae ends up leaving Bavaria in the summer. The record Bundesliga champions were open to parting ways with the South Korean defender last summer, but a move never materialized.
According to SportBild (via iMiaSanMia), Bayern still have the same stance regarding Kim Min-jae. They will be open to sanctioning his departure if a good offer comes in. However, the South Korean defender is not actively looking for a move away from Munich. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in the former Napoli center-back.
Kim Min-jae has seen his game time decrease significantly this season due to the arrival of Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen. Tah has quickly formed a solid defensive partnership with Upamecano. Kim Min-jae is currently the third-choice center-back in the squad.
However, reports in Germany have suggested that the South Korean defender is not frustrated with his current position in the squad. He is determined to fight for game time, which potentially explains his hesitation on exploring a move away from Munich during the winter transfer window.
Kim Min-jae is fine with his current role as a 'challenger' and is accepting it. Even the decision to leave him out of the squad against Hoffenheim didn't affect him. Kim still feels comfortable at Bayern. The thoughts about a possible summer departure are rather coming from the… pic.twitter.com/niBWrfg0Fe
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) February 12, 2026
Kim Min-jae has a big role to play this season
Even though Tah and Upamecano will start in big games, Kim Min-jae has an important role to play from the bench. He will get game time from the bench and also start games where Vincent Kompany rotates the squad.
The South Korean defender has largely delivered steady performances this season, making him a reliable option in defense if either Upamecano or Tah is injured. With Bayern competing on all fronts, Vincent Kompany will need all his defenders to step up across different games over the next three months.
Bayern chiefs will likely sit down with Kim Min-jae in the summer to resolve his future. If he decides to pursue a transfer, Die Roten will become active in the market for a central defender.