Kim Min-jae’s time in Munich has not been great. After winning Serie A Defender of the Year, the South Korean was brought in as a major addition to Bayern Munich’s defense, but has not lived up to expectations. While the defender has had his moments, he has unfortunately had several moments that cost Bayern big games.
During the summer transfer window, Kim Min-jae was one of the top candidates for sale. However, reports from Bild indicate that might change.
Kim Min-jae is likely to stay at Bayern. The club was willing to sell if a convincing offer came in for Kim. But the player himself always wanted to stay in Munich and establish himself in the team. Due to time constraints (transfer window closes in a week), Bayern would no longer agree to a sale now – only a huge financial offer could change their stance. After he struggled with persistent Achilles tendon problems for much of last season, Kim is feeling much better now. Everyone involved is therefore hoping that Kim can finally live up to the club’s expectations in the new season.
Bayern were seemingly willing the defender leave for any appropriate offer, but have reportedly retracted this sentiment. After Kim’s strong substitute performance against RB Leipzig, the board sees him in the squad for the 2025/26 season. This is a change in feeling from just two weeks ago:
Kim Min-jae no longer plays a key role in the club’s plan and is an absolute candidate for sale. Bayern are planning with Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah as starting centre-backs – and the club’s bosses are not entirely satisfied with Kim’s performances since he joined the club. In addition, his salary situated in the mid double-digit million range is too high for a rotational player. Therefore, Bayern are trying to find a suitor for Kim before the end of the transfer window, but are not actively pushing him out, as there’s mutual respect between both parties.
But one performance alone likely is not enough for Bayern to immediately change their mind on a player. The fact is that Bayern no longer has time to find a replacement — and so at this point they would need an offer they can’t refuse.
