Manchester City enter transfer battle with Manchester United and Liverpool for Napoli star Kim Min-Jae

Premier League champions Manchester City have reportedly entered the race for Napoli’s Kim Min-Jae, taking on the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool.

While Pep Guardiola’s back-line has had two constant figures this season in Ruben Dias and John Stones, the Manchester City manager has made it apparent that he is never afraid to bring in more options to add depth to an already star-studded squad.

A prime example was seen earlier this season, when hours before the summer transfer window closed, Manuel Akanji was acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee understood to be in the region of £15 million.

While the Swiss international has been receiving significant playing time in a new formation, the same cannot be said for his defensive counterpart Aymeric Laporte – who has only appeared in 19 matches so far this season for Manchester City.

As such, Laporte is understood to have become frustrated at the club and is open to making a switch elsewhere in Europe in an attempt to revive his playing career, with Barcelona emerging as a possible early option for the 28-year-old.

With Laporte potentially leaving Manchester City in the upcoming summer market, Etihad officials have started their search for possible replacements, with their most recent candidate being Napoli’s Kim Min-jae, according to a new report from The Sun.

The 26 year-old – who joined the current Serie A leaders in the summer from Turkish giants Fenerbahce – has been in sensational form this season, impressing Pep Guardiola. In his debut campaign with the club, Min-jae has started in all 30 of his 30 Italian top-flight appearances.

Manchester City officials could reportedly make a move happen for as low as £40 million, which would match the release clause set by the Italian side, according to the newspaper.

However, the South Korean star is unsurprisingly in high-demand, with the Premier League champions understood to be joined by all of Manchester United, Liverpool, and Tottenham from the English top-flight.

The Sun claim that while Min-jae fancies a move to England, Napoli are expected to offer the player a new contract that could help him stay at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium for at least one more season.

Elsewhere, Manchester City are expected to agree a new deal with Nathan Ake in the coming weeks, capping off a sensational campaign for the Dutchman at the Etihad Stadium.

The former Chelsea and Bournemouth defender has been instrumental to Manchester City’s defensive solidity across the course of the campaign, and has stepped up to the challenge of operating at left-back – a demand that was heightened following the exit of Joao Cancelo in January.

Ake was subject to strong transfer interest from Stamford Bridge last summer. However, despite City blocking a return to London for the Netherlands international, the player has certainly reaped the rewards, becoming one of the first names on the team-sheet for Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff.