Manchester United have been scouting Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae since late last year, according to a key update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Kim Min-jae shining for Napoli?

The South Korean has enjoyed a sensational 2022/23 season, proving to be one of Napoli's most influential performers in a legendary campaign for the club. He has been an absolute rock at the heart of their defence, starting 34 Serie A matches and helping his team win their first league title since 1990.

Kim is arguably seen as one of the world's best players in his position at the moment, such has been the level he has performed at, and Napoli may find it difficult to keep hold of him once the summer transfer window arrives.

United have been strongly linked with for the £33,000-a-week defender in recent weeks, with the Reds Devils seeing him as a potentially huge addition at the end of the season.

Could Man United snap up Kim Min-jae?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano said that United have been long-time admirers of Kim, suggesting that he remains a top target ahead of the summer window opening:

"For Kim, we have to say that Manchester United started to work on this deal at the end of October and the beginning of November. They have been sending their scouts and they have always been in attendance to follow Kim Min-jae with Napoli.

"He has been putting in excellent performances and he has been the best centre-back of the season, for sure, in Serie A. He is doing very, very well."

Kim could be the perfect centre-back signing for United this summer, coming in and immediately making them more of a force, and helping them potentially turn into Premier League title challengers, having ended up falling well short this time around.

The 26-year-old's displays for Napoli have been near-immaculate throughout the campaign, with an average of 3.6 clearances per game coming his way, as well as an eye-catching 91% pass completion rate to highlight his technical quality. He is at the ideal age to come in and be a key man, with his peak years likely to last for the foreseeable future.

Granted, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have been excellent together for United, but the latter is ageing and injury-prone, so Kim would be viewed as a long-term upgrade, having been hailed as "unbelievably good" by Serie A expert Matteo Bonetti.