Departure on the horizon: Bayern star leaning toward a move | OneFootball

At FC Bayern, the roster overhaul is taking shape—especially on the departures front. In the case of one defender, there’s now a clear indication of where things might be headed.

While the World Cup is underway, officials at Säbener Straße are moving forward with their plans for the upcoming season. Although Munich hasn’t officially sold or bought anyone yet, there are signs of movement on the defensive side. Both Ito and Minjae Kim are considered candidates for a transfer—both are only second-string options behind Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano.

As for the Japanese player, there are now fresh indications of a possible direction. As Sport BILD reports, the 27-year-old has developed an initial inclination behind the scenes. According to the report, Ito is toying with the idea of a move to the Spanish league; he could well imagine playing there.

It’s no secret that the German record champions would be willing to let Ito go. A transfer fee has reportedly already been set internally: Max Eberl and his team are said to be open to talks if an offer of around 20 million euros is made.

The door is open for Kim, too

The Bayern bosses aren’t just leaving the door wide open for Ito; signs point to a departure for Kim as well. According to kicker, an offer of 20 to 25 million euros could be enough to set a transfer in motion.

Photo: IMAGO

The sticking point with the South Korean, however, lies elsewhere: His high salary is unlikely to be easily covered by any club. That said, the clubs most recently linked to Kim are certainly high-profile. Interest is reportedly coming from Juventus and Manchester United, among others—and the English side, at least, would likely have no problem covering even a high salary.

How quickly these two situations are resolved now depends on concrete offers. One thing is certain: Both defenders play only a supporting role in the hierarchy of Bayern’s defense, which is why the Munich club is generally open to selling them.