Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel dropped a hint regarding the club’s interest in Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae.
The 26-year-old South Korean centre back attracted the attention of the Bundesliga giants following his incredible debut campaign with the Partenopei, who he helped win their first Scudetto in 33 years.
Read more: Bayern Munich ready to close out Kim Min-Jae deal
Kim has been seemingly on the verge of completing a move to Bayern for weeks now and completed his medicals with the club 10 days ago, but things have fallen quiet since.
Speaking in a press conference via Calciomercato, Tuchel spoke about the departure of Lucas Hernandez and hinted at the interest in Kim.
“We want to replace Lucas Hernandez, it’s no longer such a big secret which player we are talking about (Kim, ed).
“I hold Lucas in high regard, he left a big void in the second half of the season after his injury. When a player makes it clear that he wants to leave and has a lucrative offer, and we think we have an alternative who can fill that gap, we agree.
“We hope to fill the gap very soon.”
Bayern Munich may be in a more difficult spot now. The €50m release clause present in his contract expires today, so Napoli could try to demand more for Kim should a deal not be made official in the coming hours.
Last season, the 26-year-old stood out as one of the best defenders in Italy, seeing over 3000 minutes of action in Serie A.