Kim Ji-soo, 18, has suddenly found herself in the middle of a Brentford ‘B-team’ controversy.
Brentford tweeted on Monday (June 26), “Welcome to Kim Ji-Soo. The young defender joins from Seongnam in South Korea. He has signed a four-year contract with an option to extend for a further year.”
Kim Ji-soo has been touted as the next Kim Min-jae. At 6-foot-2, he is considered to be a large defender with excellent physical attributes and accurate passing ability. Kim came up through the Seongnam FC youth ranks and signed the club’s first semi-professional contract last year. Kim became the youngest player in the K League at the age of 17 and played 19 league games in his first season 먹튀검증.
After progressing through the age-group national teams, the Taeguk-marked Kim had a breakout season at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023, led by Kim Eun-jung. Kim started every game of the tournament and anchored the defense as South Korea finished fourth.
Since the beginning of the year, interest from European teams has been growing. Bayern Munich, Sporting, and others were reportedly interested in Kim. In the English Premier League (EPL), Brentford have been monitoring Kim.
After proving himself in international competitions, Brentford decided to sign him. Brentford secured Kim’s buyout of $700,000 (approximately $800,000) and a sell-on clause, which guarantees a portion of his transfer fee if he moves to another team. Kim became the 15th Korean Premier League player and the youngest South Korean player to break into the English game.
But suddenly, a “B-team” controversy arose.
Brentford said: “Kim Ji-Soo will spend time in the B team to learn English and settle in. Like all players in the B team, he will train and play with the first team based on his performance.” On the other hand, Kim Ji-soo said, “The club promised me a bright future before I left for England on the 22nd. There was no talk of a B team, and I will play for the first team.”
Regarding the 안전토토사이트 B team, Kim Ji-soo’s pre-departure interview and the club’s official announcement were different, leading to suspicions of ‘job fraud’. In response, Seongnam said, “We only talk about transfers between clubs. The first team and B team are between the players and their respective clubs.”
The B-team issue seems to be a matter of interpretation on both sides. Brentford’s B-team is likely to be a literal adaptation period. The club is willing to pay a buyout to keep him, so they’re willing to give him a chance.
On the other hand, Kim Ji-soo’s response could be interpreted as “there was no such talk” in the sense of “staying on the B team”. If Kim Ji-soo is able to adapt quickly, his first-team debut could be shortened.