Son Heung-min wasn't the only South Korean Tottenham fans were keeping a close eye on during their World Cup Group H clash against Uruguay on Thursday afternoon. The game at the Education City Stadium also presented them with the perfect opportunity to see how Kim Min-jae fared after plenty of speculation regarding a move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the past two years.
Excelling for Chinese side Beijing Guoan, Spurs had been keeping tabs on the powerful centre-back but elected against making a move for him as he instead headed for Fenerbahce in August 2021. Talk of a switch to the capital would not go away, however, as he continued to flourish at his new club, with another move deservedly coming to fruition 11 months later as he signed on the dotted line for Napoli.
Kim was not high up Tottenham's list of potential centre-back signings but he was someone of interest and a player they had monitored. Missing the chance to grab a transfer bargain one year ago, the 26-year-old's outstanding form for the Naples-based club has left many fans questioning why Fabio Paratici didn't take his chance and pounce for the South Korean.
