Coach Luciano Spalletti said Kim Min-jae was the best defender in the league.

Napoli drew 2-2 with Bologna in the 37th round of the 2022-23 Italian Serie A at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna, Italy, at 10:00 p.m. ET on April 28.

Napoli scored the first goal. Victor Osimhen capitalized on a mistake by the opposing goalkeeper in the 14th minute. Osimhen also scored nine minutes into the second half. Napoli took a 2-0 lead thanks to Osimhen’s multi-goal performance, but conceded a late goal and an equalizer in the second half to end the game at 2-2.

Kim Min-jae started the match and was subbed off in the 78th minute. According to soccer stats site Fivestat, Kim made 67 passes (the most on the team), completed five long passes (71%), made one tackle (100%), cleared one, recovered three, and won one ground contest (33%). Overall, it was a solid performance. Napoli were unfortunate to concede a goal after Kim Min-jae went off as a substitute.

After the game, Spalletti spoke about Kim in the press conference. Spalletti explained that Kim was feeling discomfort in his calf and that he had to take him off to prevent injury. After explaining the substitution, Spalletti applauded Kim’s performance this season 스포츠토토.

Spalletti said: “Kim is an incredibly strong player. I hope he stays and plays for Napoli. When he sees that the ball is close to him, he immediately rushes in to deal with it. This season, he was definitely the best defender in Serie A,” he said.

Indeed, Kim has been a top-notch performer beyond Serie A and into European soccer. He was able to defend both physically and intelligently, and in build-up situations, he became the center of the back four with a mix of steady and adventurous passing, sometimes driving the ball forward himself and getting into high positions. He showed all the skills that a modern center back should have.

His performance has led to transfer speculation. He has been strongly linked with Manchester United, and Newcastle United are also reportedly interested in him.