Manchester United preparing double swoop worth £93 million to shore up defense: Reports
Manchester United are reportedly considering a double swoop for Napoli defender Kim Min-jae and AS Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Kim, 26, has emerged as a crucial player for Gli Azzurri since arriving from Fenerbahce for over £15 million last summer. He has filled the void left by Kalidou Koulibaly, guiding his side to the 2022-23 Serie A title in the process.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Manchester United are prepared to dish out £13 million more than Kim's release clause to complete a potential summer move. The South Korean's clause is believed to be in the region of £40 million.
Disasi, on the other hand, has emerged as one of the top centre-backs in the Ligue 1 over the past two campaigns. Since joining Monaco from Reims for £11 million in 2020, he has helped them register successive third-place finishes.
The Red Devils are said to be in pole position to sign the 25-year-old Frenchman, as per Football Insider. They are keen to make the most of Monaco's wish to cash in on the £40 million-rated star, whose contract expires in 2025.
Should Kim and Disasi join the Old Trafford side this summer, they would displace Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof in the pecking order. The pair would also offer reliable competition to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
Kim, who has a contract until June 2025 at Napoli, has been in excellent form this season. He has scored two goals and laid out as many assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for Luciano Spalletti's outfit so far.
Meanwhile, Disasi has relished a rich goal-scoring form this term, scoring six times in 45 overall games so far.
Manchester United star urged to leave club and join domestic rivals
During an interaction with Football Insider, ex-Tottenham Hotspur star Alan Hutton was queried whether Spurs would be a better option than Nottingham Forest for Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson. He replied:
"It would definitely be a better option. You would rather be at a team at the top end of the league than the bottom. We thought he was going to take over from [David] de Gea at Manchester United, that did not work. It is all about playing now, he is ready for it. So, if he is going to be number one, I think you would choose Tottenham."
Henderson, 26, joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan deal last summer after failing to secure enough minutes at his parent club. So far, he has registered six clean sheets in 20 games for Forest this season.
For Manchester United, Henderson has overseen 13 shutouts in 29 games across all competitions.