Arsenal’s transfer target has an amazing Champions League record that Mikel Arteta will really like.
Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie had a very unusual injury after their 2-1 win over Leeds United, and it looks like coach Mikel Arteta might be thinking about signing a new defender. Hincapie came on to play the last eight minutes of the match, but just after the game ended, he and teammate Martin Zubimendi both hurt their ankles during the warm-down.
Arteta called the situation “far from ideal” before Arsenal’s 3-0 win against Lille in the Champions League and said it was the first time something like this had happened in his seven years managing the team. The 24-year-old Hincapie had to be carried off the pitch by backup goalkeeper Illan Meslier and is expected to miss a few weeks, possibly coming back for the game against Liverpool on November 1.
Hincapie and Zubimendi join key players William Saliba and Christos Tzolis on the sidelines. But the good news is that at least three players should be ready to return next month. Still, Arteta seems eager to strengthen the defense during the January transfer window. One name being linked with Arsenal is Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-Jae.
According to Bayern watcher Christian Falk, Arsenal are interested in the South Korean defender, partly because of Hincapie’s injury, and also because Arsenal’s scouting chief, Maurizio Micheli, noticed Kim when he worked at Napoli. Bayern signed Kim in July 2023 after paying his £43 million release clause. Since then, he’s played 122 times for the club and scored five goals.
This season, Kim has played six games and shown how important he is to Bayern boss Vincent Kompany. But he isn’t guaranteed a starting spot, and Falk says Bayern could sell him if the price is right. Bayern will want to get back most of what they spent on Kim three years ago, especially since his contract runs until June 2028.
Arsenal’s transfer approach has changed a lot recently, shown by signings like Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes this summer, both of whom already have Premier League experience. Konsa and Guimaraes have also done well in European football with Aston Villa and Newcastle United. Kim has a similar profile, with strong defensive skills and Champions League experience—he’s played 40 games in the competition and counting.
If Arsenal sign Kim, it would be an amazing addition. He even holds a remarkable record: during a Champions League match against Benfica in November 2024, he completed all 113 of his passes—the most passes ever made by a single player in a Champions League game with 100% accuracy, according to Opta.
This kind of skill is exactly why Arsenal admire Kim. Arteta values players who are calm and confident on the ball—just like he showed by wanting to bring Konsa to the team.