The outlet reports that Aston Villa are not just pursuing a deal for the Portuguese midfielder. As they have learned, Unai Emery’s side have also been courting the centre-back. And they have been doing so for several weeks too.

According to their information, Aston Villa officials made informal inquiries with the player’s camp as early as the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. At that point, the defender’s full focus was on the tournament with South Korea.

Aston Villa waited and tried their luck again last week. Following the clash with Bayern Munich in Asia – in which Kim not only scored Bayern’s opening goal but also impressed throughout – the Villans renewed contact with the defender’s representatives.

TZ believe that they were ‘evidently impressed’ with him once again. They’re not the only club making enquiries. Nottingham Forest have also asked about him. The 29-year-old quickly turned down the proposal.

Bayern reject sale idea

Aston Villa have work to do convincing Bayern, though. Kim had been on the sale list last summer, but an exit is no longer on the agenda. That is partly because Vincent Kompany is increasingly convince of the defender’s qualities.

“He is truly a defensive monster and really fast,” he said recently.

“I have to pay Minjae a compliment: the way he presents himself, what he delivers on the pitch -and the fact that he doesn’t talk [excessively]. He is there with the right answer in every situation; his performances for us have always been top-notch.”

Those are not the comments of a manager open to a sale. But Aston Villa are making enquiries once again, perhaps inspired by the defender’s latest performance.