Former Everton scout Carlo Jacomuzzi has revealed the Premier League club’s interest in Alex Meret and Kim Min-Jae with the defender set to join the goalkeeper at Napoli, speaking to Radio Punto Nuovo.
The Serie A giants are wasting no time as they look to replace the colossal Kalidou Koulibaly at the heart of Luciano Spalletti’s backline.
South Korea international Kim officially became as a Napoli player on Wednesday morning; The Partenopei triggering a £16 million release clause in his Fenerbahce contract while fighting off competition from Goodison Park.
Everton, according to CalcioNapoli24, had held talks with Kim’s camp earlier in the summer.
And this was not the first time the Toffees had made an approach for a 6ft 3ins powerhouse labelled Asia’s answer to Virgil van Dijk either.
Everton wanted Napoli’s Kim Min Jae
“I followed him at Everton three years ago,” recalls Jacomuzzi.
Kim, once a target for Jose Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur, was still plying his trade for Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League at the time.
“We had a good opinion of the boy,” Jacomuzzi explains. “But it seemed too big a leap for him to move from Asia to Europe.
“Now, having had the experience in Turkey, I think he is ready for Serie A. The Turkish championship is tough and competitive anyway.”
Kim is not the only Napoli player who’s attracted admiring glances from Merseyside.
£32 million shot-stopper Meret played under Carlo Ancelotti in Italy. And keeper and coach could’ve been reunited in England; The Toffees having showed an interest before Ancelotti ran for the Madrid hills during the summer of 2021.
“Meret at Everton? He could have gone there thanks to Ancelotti. There had been interest,” Jacomuzzi adds.
Meret has struggled to live up to his hefty price-tag at Napoli. But the former Udinese youngster could finally establish himself as the club’s regular number one next term following the departure of former Arsenal man David Opsina.
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