Customer found? This top club wants Bayern reserve player Minjae Kim | OneFootball

Minjae Kim is considered a candidate to leave FC Bayern, and according to the latest media reports, Turkish top club Fenerbahce Istanbul are planning to bring him back

FC Bayern are continuing to work flat out on the strategic alignment of their defence – and one name is increasingly becoming the focus of possible departure scenarios: Minjae Kim. The South Korean international has been one of the candidates at Säbener Straße for some time now, with a sale in the summer by no means ruled out. According to the latest reports, there is now also a concrete interested party

As the well-connected Turkish sports journalist Murat Zorlu reports, Fenerbahce Istanbul are monitoring the centre-back’s situation very closely. According to him, Kim is a player that the Turkish top club would seriously consider if FC Bayern decided to sell him. Although no concrete talks have taken place so far, Fenerbahce could make a concrete approach in the summer

Those responsible in Istanbul know Kim and his qualities very well. He moved to Fenerbahce from China in 2021 and made his breakthrough in Europe there

Kim has fallen behind in sporting terms

photo: IMAGO

After his transfer in the summer of 2023, Min-jae Kim was long regarded as a fixture in the Munich defence. However, the balance of power has shifted significantly under Vincent Kompany. Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah currently form the preferred central defence, while Kim has lost his place in the hierarchy. The South Korean hardly gets a chance to play in crucial games and has fallen significantly in the internal ranking

This development has not gone unnoticed by those in charge. With a rumoured annual salary in the high double-digit million range, Kim is one of the top earners in the squad – a factor that plays a central role in the sporting reassessment. Should the record champions initiate a major shake-up in defence in the summer, Kim would be one of the most obvious candidates for sale

The defender is said to have a release clause of 70 million euros, which will come into effect next summer. Although this sum is considered ambitious given his current role, it cannot be ruled out that Bayern would be willing to discuss a lower transfer fee. His current market value is estimated at 25 million euros

Bayern are already planning possible successors

Irrespective of a concrete offer, preparations have long been underway at Säbener Straße for the worst-case scenario. The sporting management is intensively exploring the market and has several alternatives in mind. The names Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace and Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund are mentioned particularly frequently. Both are considered strategic options for the future and would fit into the new requirement profile in terms of both sporting ability and age

Guéhi is particularly interesting due to his contract situation, as he would be available on a free transfer in the summer of 2026. Schlotterbeck, on the other hand, knows the Bundesliga inside out and brings international experience with him. One thing is clear: Bayern want to realign their central defence not only in terms of quantity, but above all in terms of quality.