Arsenal are chasing Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae, after identifying him as a new target for the winter market.
The centre-back made a name for himself while at Napoli during the 2022/23 season. Arsenal head of scouting Maurizio Micheli was then at the Serie A side with the same role.
Micheli spent seven years at the Naples club and left them for the Premier League winners in 2025. He can secure the 29-year-old again and seems to be leading the Gunners’ plan to sign him.
The South Korea international has played 122 matches and dealt with multiple injuries whilst with the Bundesliga winners.
Arsenal option for Kim in January
During the summer window, Sport Witness covered a report from Germany explaining Aston Villa’s pursuit. A move never took shape, and it’s unclear whether the Villans are still keen.
If they are, Aston Villa are likely to face competition from the north London club. In the latest episode of podcast Bayern Insider, Bild journalists Christian Falk and Julian Agardi talked about Arsenal’s interest in Kim Min-jae and FCB Inside have relayed their comments.
Falk states Maurizio Micheli has a ‘crucial role’ to play in bringing the former Napoli star to the Emirates in January.
“He works there as head of scouting at Arsenal, and he’s the one who brought Kim’s name into the mix. The big question is whether Bayern would even let him go in the winter,” he said.
| Every Arsenal signing 26/27 | Nationality | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Guimarães | Brazil | Newcastle United | £75m |
| Ezri Konsa | England | Aston Villa | £51m |
| Christos Tzolis | Grecce | Club Brugge | £34m |
| Illan Meslier | France | Leeds United | Free |
| Piero Hincapié | Colombia | Bayer Leverkusen | £34.5m |
Bayern may have important decision to make
Besides Kim Min-jae, Vincent Kompany has Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah and Hiroki Ito as his three other centre-backs. The latter has repeatedly struggled with injuries.
Whilst Christian Falk doesn’t rule out Kim’s exit in January, his colleague has a different take.
Julian Agardi explained: “I absolutely cannot imagine Bayern letting him leave in the winter.”
Over at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has Gabriel, Ezri Konsa, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapié and William Saliba as his centre-backs.
Saliba is already on the sidelines and Hincapié could miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious blow last weekend. The Ecuadorian can also operate on the left side of the defence, where Riccardo Calafiori is the only other recognised left-back.
The Gunners can satisfy Arteta by signing either Kim or another defender in January.
