Everton have been named among a host of clubs interested in signing Fenerbahce defender Kim Min-jae this summer, according to a report from Takvim (via Sport Witness).
The lowdown: 'The monster'
Dubbed a 'monster' amid previous Toffees links - owing to his towering 6 foot 1 presence - Min-jae has been compared to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk in the past and has enjoyed a burgeoning reputation since arriving in Europe.
Signed from Chinese Super League outfit BJ Guoan in 2021, the 25-year-old South Korean has gone from strength to strength in Turkey and could now be ready for the next step in a promising career.
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/" title="Everton news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]
Now, the latest report has claimed that Everton boss Frank Lampard is keen to include the towering centre-back as part of a summer rebuild at Goodison Park...
The latest: Toffees keen
As per Takvim, translated by SW, Everton are one of the 'serious suitors' to sign the 40-cap ace.
Premier League rivals Tottenham are also credited with a strong interest in Kim, whilst Napoli, AC Milan and Sevilla are also watching on with intent.
The report also states that the man hailed as 'world class' by journalist Jason Lee during a 1-1 draw with Trabzonspor has a €25million (£21.5million) release clause as part of a contract that runs until 2025 (Transfermarkt).
The verdict: Straight swap
With the future of injury-prone central defender Yerry Mina seemingly lying away from the blue half of Merseyside, signing Kim as a direct replacement would make an abundance of sense for the Toffees.
Albeit the South Korean missed four matches of his own last term, the powerful star has remained relatively injury-free thus far in what has been a career on an ever upwards trajectory.
Overall in 2021/22, he made 39 appearances across all competitions, including six Europa League outings whilst earning a strong 6.93 Sofascore rating comprising of 3.7 successful duels, 2.3 interceptions and 4.1 clearances on average per Super Lig game - more than any Everton defender when it comes to clearances.
Given the mooted price, the potential offloading of Mina and with Lampard attempting to fix a defensive department that conceded 66 goals last term, a move for the Fenerbache warrior would be a smart and wholly achievable one.
In other news: 'Abolsutely magnificent' Everton man wanted on loan, read more here