On the latest episode of Tottenham Hotspur podcast The Extra Inch, Chris Miller, Nathan Clark and @BardiTFC have been discussing the latest goings-on at the north London club, with a focus on some of the players who have been linked with the Lilywhites in recent weeks.
One player who was discussed on the recent episode, which was titled: ‘Sold Elvis, Bought the Beatles‘, was South Korean centre-back Kim Min-jae. The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the north London club in recent weeks, with it having been suggested that compatriot Son Heung-min could potentially play a big part in the negotiations for the Beijing Guoan man.
Miller introduced a discussion of the South Korean international, alluding to comparisons between him and Jan Vertonghen as he offered his opinion on the potential signing, saying:
“This is where the Vertonghen comparisons come in: he’s clearly confident at taking a touch and bringing the ball out, he’ll tempt a striker in and then dash into the space behind them, which is quite attractive. His passing seems relatively conservative, but in the highlight reels, there are some incisive forward passes, as well. He’s very proactive defensively, he doesn’t go to ground, but he closes down space and puts his body in a way to stop players [from] getting beyond him. He looks pretty nimble for a player who is 6ft 3.”
Bardi then offers his opinion on the 23-year-old, saying:
“Kim’s proven himself to be calm, confident and intelligent against [Chinese Super League] opposition and when playing international football, he’s looked the part against bigger teams like Brazil and Japan. Perhaps a right-sided centre-back isn’t what we need right now, but for the right price, for his age, give him time to settle without throwing him into the first team, I think it could be a good bit of business.”
TIF Thoughts…
Considering Spurs are set to lose Vertonghen when his contract expires at the end of the season and the comparison made to the Belgian, you could argue that Kim could be a smart addition to Jose Mourinho’s squad.
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The Lilywhites have also kept just five clean sheets in the top-flight so far this season, so perhaps defensive reinforcements should be a priority this summer, and based on what both Miller and Bardi had to say about the 23-year-old, it seems as if they would like to see their club make a concrete move for the South Korean.