Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) has received unexpected criticism from local media, intensifying questions about his future.
Sport1 released an overall assessment of the Bayern Munich first team for the 2024-2025 season on the 20th (Korean time).
Sport1 rated Kim Min-jae with the lowest score of 4.5 among the defenders. Considering that a score of 1 is the best and 6 is the worst in the German scoring system, this essentially corresponds to a failing level.
Sport1 stated, "He showed stable skills at the beginning of the season but, after suffering injuries, his form declined and he began to be identified as a source of insecurity in the defense," adding, "The possibility of a transfer should not be ignored." This suggests that Kim Min-jae's future position in the team is threatened beyond just performance criticism.
RAN's rating was 4. The evaluation content was also similar. It noted, "With agile movements and stable skills, he had the upper hand in the competition for a starting position at the beginning, but as the season progressed, frequent mistakes and deteriorating performance due to recurring injuries became prominent."
Interestingly, Japan national team defender Hiroki Ito, who was unable to play much of the season due to a long-term injury, received the same score of 4 as Kim Min-jae.
Ito underwent three surgeries due to a fracture in his midfoot and has only played 282 minutes this season. In contrast, Kim Min-jae played a remarkable 3,593 minutes, ranking second on the team in playing time, following Joshua Kimmich (4,197 minutes).
This comparison has sparked controversy among fans and experts. Considering playing time, contributions, and number of matches, the prevailing opinion is that it is unfair for Kim Min-jae to receive a rating similar to Ito. RAN described Ito as showing, "the potential to positively impact the team even after his injury," but there have been ongoing criticisms questioning whether that standard can be equally applied to Kim Min-jae.
Kim Min-jae has been dealing with Achilles pain since the match against Frankfurt in October 2023. He reportedly insisted on playing through the pain throughout the season.
He remarked in December of last year, "The recovery is slow. There is pain, but I feel a sense of responsibility to play for the team," pushing himself despite the injuries. Regarding the reasons for playing despite his injury, he showed a candid attitude, stating, "All the responsibility lies with me. Mistakes and injuries are ultimately mine to bear."
However, the close-to-overuse playing time has led to a decline in performance in the second half of the season, directly correlating with a decrease in trust within the team. Mistakes that contributed to goals conceded in the Champions League quarter-final against Inter Milan and the league match against Borussia Dortmund were the decisive blows. As a result, local German media began labeling him as "a central figure in an insecure defense."
Bavarian Football diagnosed that Kim Min-jae, "has struggled to adapt since his first season after the transfer, and currently there is a significant chance he will be excluded from next season's starting plans."
The situation has worsened. According to European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano, Bayern Munich has begun negotiations to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah. They have already offered a four-year contract and are reportedly waiting for Tah's final response.
Tah, whose contract with Leverkusen expires this summer, has played 49 matches last season without injury and was a key player under manager Xabi Alonso. If Tah joins, he is likely to take the starting defender position immediately, which would weaken Kim Min-jae's standing.
It is believed that the acquisition of Tah presupposes the sale of Kim Min-jae. Indeed, multiple German media outlets reported that Bayern Munich has set Kim Min-jae's transfer fee at 30 million to 35 million euros (47.2 billion to 55 billion won). This figure is more than a 30% decrease from the 50 million euros (78.1 billion won) he was bought for a year ago from Napoli.
Kim Min-jae has made a significant contribution to the Bundesliga title this season. Even as key defensive resources were lost, he managed to uphold the team's defensive line amidst injuries. His dedication has been foundational to Bayern Munich maintaining its competitiveness until the end of the season.
Nevertheless, at the current point of the season's conclusion, Kim Min-jae is being regarded as "an unnecessary resource" at Bayern Munich. Factors such as playing time, sacrifice, and sense of responsibility fail to serve as any protection for him. Such a cold evaluation from the club shows that factors beyond the player's skills are included in the assessment criteria.
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