With the advancement to the semifinals of the International Football Federation (FIFA) Under-20 (U-20) World Cup, the value of Kim Eun-joong’s center back Kim Ji-soo (19, Seongnam) is also rising.

On the 7th (hereinafter Korean time), ‘Liverpool.com’, a local magazine in Liverpool, England, advised that Liverpool should recruit Kim Ji-soo, who has abundant potential, now at the lowest ransom price. The media said, “One of the most talented players in the Korean U-20 national team is Kim Ji-soo. He could be an ideal target for Liverpool.” “Kim Ji-soo, who is only 18 years old, participated in every game in this tournament and left an impression with his composure and excellent soccer sense,” he added.

Kim Ji-soo played a total of 434 minutes as a starter in all 5 matches, from the first round of the group stage against France to the quarterfinals against Nigeria. The only substitution was with Hwang In-taek (20, Seoul E-Land) in the 29th minute of the second half during the game against Nigeria.먹튀검증

Bunyodkor Stadium (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)/ 2023 AFC U20 Asian Cup/ Men’s U-20 national team/ Semi-finals/ Semi-finals/ Korea vs Uzbekistan/ Kim Ji-soo/ Photos Donghyuk Kwak
Kim Ji-soo seemed imminent to transfer to the English Premier League just before the tournament. Brentford sent a love call to Kim Ji-soo with a long-term perspective. It is known that a buyout ($700,000, approximately 915 million won) and a cell-on clause were included. The media said, “Kim Ji-soo, a tall and strong defender in the air, has already played 19 matches on the stage, which is the highest level in Korea, despite his young age. There is no doubt that Kim Ji-soo will move to a new ground after the tournament.” he explained.

“Signing a young centre-back like Kim Ji-soo makes perfect sense for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp currently has a wealth of defensive options. If Joe Gomes struggles after injury, Joel Matip can revitalize the squad.” did.

Photo courtesy of Korea Professional Football Federation

Seongnam FC defender Kim Ji-soo. Photo courtesy of the Professional Football League

Photo courtesy of the Professional Football League
Still, “Kim Ji-soo is the ideal choice. I don’t expect Kim Ji-soo to come in and brighten the team right away. In fact, Matip may not move this summer. Even Kim Ji-soo is ineligible for a work permit and may have to turn around on loan. “But over time, Kim Ji-soo has the potential to become a great option for Liverpool. He could be a future starter at Anfield.”

He also emphasized that now is the cheapest. The media said, “Kim Ji-soo is a player who will have to pay a lot of money for Liverpool in the future, just like Darwin Nunez did. It remains to be seen if Kim Ji-soo can become a ‘centreback Hollan’, but he is already growing on a famous stage.”

Photo courtesy of the Professional Football League
Kim Ji-soo is considered the present and future of Korean soccer. He is 1m92 tall and weighs 84kg and has a soccer sense. He boasts various strengths such as strong physical fighting and one-on-one ability. In particular, last year, as a high school student, he played on his professional stage. He ran the ground as Seongnam’s first semi-professional player. Although he is young, he received applause for his passionate performance. In particular, Kim Sang-sik, former coach of Jeonbuk Hyundai who led the ‘Team K-League’ in the All-Star Game last summer, also selected Kim Ji-soo and praised him, saying, “Kim Min-jae (Naples) comes to mind.”

The variable for Kim Ji-soo’s trip to Brentford is whether or not a work permit (work visa) is issued. Kim Ji-soo has no experience with the A national team, so Brentford is known to move quickly on its own. There was also a strong support group. That is Paulo Bento, former A national team coach. When Bento was the head coach of Korea, he constantly checked the K-League and national team games by age and checked the players. It is said that Bento sent a letter of recommendation to Brentford Kim Ji-soo.