Why Leicester City should sign Kim Min-jae to bolster their defence
According to 90Min (h/t Leicestershire Live), Leicester City have joined the race to sign in-demand South Korean centre-back Kim Min-Jae.
The 23-year-old, who currently plies his trade with Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League, has also attracted interest from Premier League rivals Tottenham while several Italian clubs are also understood to be in the market for the defender. (h/t Leicestershire Live)
As per the report, Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to bring in a new central defender before the deadline next month after being hit with an injury crisis at the back.
Profile
Kim Min-Jae started his professional career with Gyeongju KHNP in the Korean third-tier before rising to prominence with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the top-flight. The towering central defender made 60 appearances in all competitions for Jeonbuk before being snapped up by Chinese giants Beijing Guoan.
The 23-year-old has since established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Chinese Super League. Kim Min-Jae has also been capped 30 times by South Korea at the senior international level and guided his nation to a triumphant campaign at the 2018 Asian Games.
Leicester need more depth at the back
Leicester City conceded only 41 goals en route to their 5th-place finish in the Premier League last season, which was one of the best defensive records in the entire division. The Foxes also bagged an impressive 67 goals last term, catching the eye with some aesthetic free-flowing football.
In fact, stability at the back was one of the hallmarks of their campaign last time around and set the ground perfectly for the likes of Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, and Harvey Barnes to wreak havoc further up the pitch. Brendan Rodgers’ side have enjoyed a great start to the 2020-21 season, scoring 7 times in their first two games against West Brom and Burnley.
However, the club’s growing list of injuries at the back remains a major cause of concern for the manager, who lost Ben Chilwell to Chelsea earlier this summer. Jonny Evans and Filip Benkovic have missed the first couple of games due to a hamstring problem while Ricardo Pereira is not expected to be back in action before November.
Wilfred Ndidi has been deployed as a makeshift central defender to partner Caglar Soyuncu at the heart of the backline, with Rodgers not showing much trust in the 36-year-old Wes Morgan. Ndidi fared pretty well against West Brom and Burnley, both teams with modest attacking firepower.
To that end, though, Ndidi’s lack of experience in that position could be exposed later on in the campaign when Leicester face better opposition. Hence, bringing in a promising young centre-back like Kim Min-Jae would be an excellent piece of business for the Foxes.
The 6ft 2in South Korean has already outgrown his humble surroundings in the Far East. It would be fair to say that the 23-year-old has the potential to make an impression in a more competitive league.
Moreover, Kim is still relatively young and has his best years ahead of him, meaning he’s definitely worth a punt for Leicester. The Korean has plenty of time to make significant improvements to his game to suit the demands of playing in England.
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Verdict
It is a no-brainer that Leicester need more cover at the back, considering the hectic domestic schedule coupled with the challenge of having to compete in the Europa League. Kim Min-Jae looks more than capable of ensuring healthy competition for places at the back, especially with Morgan at the twilight of his career.
