Napoli lawyer explains blink-and-you-miss-it Kim Min-jae release clause

Any elite European clubs interested in acquiring Napoli center-back Kim Min-jae will have to be ready to act quickly next summer, with the club’s lawyer confirming over the weekend that the window will only be open for 15 days.

Napoli's Kim Min-jae, left, in action with Sassuolo's Andrea Pinamonti at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, Italy on Saturday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Any elite European clubs interested in acquiring Napoli center-back Kim Min-jae will have to be ready to act quickly next summer, with the club’s lawyer confirming over the weekend that the window will only be open for 15 days.

Kim, who signed with Serie A club Napoli last summer, is off to an explosive start to his debut European series, appearing in all-but-one of the club’s games this season. Napoli have been on incredible form, winning 13 straight games across all competitions and remaining undefeated this season.

Kim has been racking up the personal accolades, appearing on FourFourTwo’s list of the top 10 defenders in the world last week and winning Player of the Month honors in September.

During the club’s most recent 4-0 win against Sassuolo on Saturday, Kim racked up 109 successful passes according to WhoScored.com, more than any other player in Serie A this season.

For obvious reasons, there is already significant interest across Europe in signing the 25-year-old.

Kim joined Napoli in July from Turkish club Fenerbahce after one year playing in the Super Lig. According to reports, Kim is under contract with Napoli until 2025, with the club retaining the option to extend the deal for two more years. Napoli paid 19.5 million euros ($20 million) to Fenerbahce to trigger Kim's release clause, and have included a release clause valued at between 45 million and 50 million euros in his new contract.

But Napoli’s lawyer Mattia Grassani said in an interview with Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli over the weekend that any team looking at activating that clause will have to be ready to act quickly.

Kim’s release clause will not activate over the January transfer window, meaning that any team interested in acquiring him — Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are among the many clubs to be linked — would have to come up with an offer so lucrative that both Kim and Napoli could be persuaded.

Assuming that doesn’t happen, the release clause will eventually open in the summer, but only for 15 days. Only elite clubs will be able to trigger the clause, although what actually constitutes an elite club is unclear.

With Kim currently playing for arguably the best team in Europe, it’s unlikely that any offer in January is going to be successful.

When the season ends, Napoli, and manager Luciano Spalletti, will likely do anything they can to keep Kim, so any offer will have to be especially good to be in with a chance of luring him away.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]