The Athletic have revealed that it was South Korea manager Paulo Bento who alerted Jose Mourinho to the talents of Kim Min-jae.
It was reported at one point a few weeks ago that Spurs were on the verge of signing the central defender (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 Athletic have now offered an update on the transfer saga by claiming that the South Korean international is only expected to cost around £10million.
After Mourinho’s friend and compatriot, Bento recommended Kim to the Spurs boss, it is claimed that he was left impressed by the defender’s physicality.
While the report does reveal that Kim is an option Spurs are considering, it is claimed that the North Londoners are some way away from reaching potentially reaching an agreement with Beijing Guoan.
It is also asserted that Spurs have considerable competition for Kim, with other European clubs said to be chasing the 23-year-old.
Spurs Web Opinion
Our interest in Kim seems to be genuine, with some fairly reliable sources reporting that we have asked about the South Korean’s availability. It is possible that we have not moved on the deal yet as we are rumoured to be in negotiations with Inter Milan over a possible swap deal involving Milan Skriniar and Tanguy Ndombele. I suspect Mourinho will be keen not to pass up an opportunity to sign a central defender of the Slovak’s quality.
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