Kim Min-jae turns heads in Turkey
Galatasaray's Mbaye Diagne, right, vies for the ball with Fenerbahce's Marcel Tisserand and Kim Min-jae, left, during the Turkish Super League football match in Istanbul, Nov. 21. Fenerbahce won 2-1. / AP-Yonhap
By John Duerden
It is not a surprise that Son Heung-min gets most of the headlines when the conversation turns to South Korean players in Europe as the forward gets the goals. This is demonstrated by the fact that he is currently the second highest goalscorer in the English Premier League behind Mohamed Salah of Liverpool.
Defenders don't get the same attention for obvious reasons but Kim Min-jae deserves some headlines, credit and compliments for what he is doing in Turkey. The center-back is still only 25 but has already had quite a career. He made his international debut all the way back in 2017. By then he was playing for Jeonbuk Motors and on his way to the first of his two K-League titles. After the second in 2018, he was already making a name for himself as a powerful defender, technically good and with a fine soccer brain. There were reports and rumors of European interest but he chose to go to China to join Beijing Guoan in January 2019.
He had a solid two years or so in the Middle Kingdom though he was constantly linked to Europe. Tottenham Hotspur, the same club that Son plays for, was the most consistent name in the mix. The thought of having two Koreans playing for one of the bigger English Premier League was obviously an exciting one for fans and journalists back home.
The move to London did not happen but the move to Europe did, well almost. Last August Kim moved to Fenerbahce, the Istanbul giant on the Asian side of the Bosporus, the river that divides two continents. The 19-time Turkish champion is a big club with a large fan base and high expectations. It is not an easy place to go and play but Kim has done just that and has become an integral part of the team.
He has started 31 out of 34 league games this season and has become a fan favorite. The team has won nine out of the last ten games to move into second in the table and is second behind Trabzonspor. The gap is too big for Fenerbahce to close with just a few games left. Second place should be safely confirmed in the coming weeks however and that will grant entry into the Champions League and perhaps even a game against Son next season.
Kim missed the last World Cup through injury but, assuming something similar does not happen this time, will be a mainstay of the South Korean team in Qatar. That is the ultimate shop window and an opportunity for the entire world to watch the defender in action but a move to England is never far from the headlines and the latest club to be connected is Everton.
Scouts from the Liverpool club have reportedly been to watch Kim in action in Istanbul and were very impressed. If the Blues, coached by former Chelsea and England legend Frank Lampard, can avoid relegation this season then perhaps they will battle with Tottenham for the signature of the big man.
That remains to be seen. But whatever happens, Kim's time in Turkey so far has been a success.