Beijing Guoan head coach Bruno Genesio has admitted that he decided not to allow rumoured Tottenham Hotspur target Kim Min-jae to attend a press conference due to the speculation surrounding his future.
It was reported last month that Spurs were on the verge of signing the central defender, who is known as ‘the monster’ for his physicality and strength (Sports.news.naver via TEAMtalk).
However, it has emerged since then that Beijing Guoan are keen to hold on to the centre-back and will not let him leave unless they receive a sizeable offer (Sky Sports).
The speculation linking the South Korean international with a move to Spurs has died down over recently but Gensio decided not to allow the 23-year-old to face any questions from the media.
Kim was expected to appear for the pre-match press conference ahead of Beijing Guoan clash against Shijiazhuang Ever Bright on Thursday but Gensio revealed that he decided to protect the defender amidst speculation over his future.
As quoted by NDTV, the Beijing Guoan boss said: “I’m going to be very honest with you.
“We scheduled Kim to be here at this press conference but I was told that there are lots of rumours and news about him.
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“He’s a young player and I decided to protect him.
“I think it’s best for him to concentrate on Thursday’s match and not be exposed to more criticism and questions that will put him in a difficult position.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Speculation linking us with Kim has completely dried up in the past couple of weeks, which suggests that we have either moved on to other targets or Beijing have made it clear that he is not for sale. The fact that his club did not want him facing questions over his future, suggests that it was the latter.
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