"I can't be bothered by transfer rumors" - 26-year-old defender brands transfer speculation as 'nonsense' amid Manchester United links

Reported Manchester United target Kim Min-jae has expressed his frustration at being constantly linked with a move away from Napoli.

Kim joined Serie A club Napoli from Turkish giants Fenerbahce for €18 million last summer. He has hit the ground running, making 35 appearances across competitions and bagging two goals and one assist.

The central defender has been pivotal to Napoli emerging as the runaway Serie A leaders. He has also helped them qualify for the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals for the first time.

Top clubs across Europe have taken note of his performances. Premier League giants Manchester United are among those credited with an interest in signing him. While many players would take pride in being linked with such teams, Kim has admitted that the speculation makes him uncomfortable.

The South Korea international also rubbished claims linking him with other clubs, saying (via the Manchester Evening News):

"As you know, those rumours are not true at all. I want to focus on my team. I have many tournaments to play. It's been for years I have had these rumours. It's uncomfortable. I wish you don't spread those stories."

The alleged Manchester United target dismissed transfer reports as distractions and insisted that he's focused on helping Napoli achieve their targets:

"I cannot be bothered by transfer rumours because they aren't true. Now I'm focusing on the team, rather than that kind of nonsense. There are so many important matches to go, and right now, I only want to focus on Napoli."

According to Football Insider, the Red Devils are plotting a summer move for the former Fenerbahce star. They're also reportedly prepared to offload Harry Maguire and Victory Lindelof to make room for him.

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Manchester United-linked Kim Min-jae hailed as best centre-back in the world

Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has been highly impressed by Kim Min-jae's contributions to his team this season. He recently hailed the Korean as the best central defender in the world:

“Kim does at least 20 incredible things per game. For me, he truly is the best centre-back in the world. When he starts to run, he can get into the opposition penalty area in five seconds flat.”

As per Transfermarkt, Kim has a €45 million release clause in his contract that will exclusively be applicable to clubs outside Italy from 2024.