Napoli have moved to snap up the South Korea international as they bid to replace Kalidou Koulibaly, who has been sold to Chelsea.

 

Kim has landed from Turkish side Fenerbahce and had been linked with a host of Premier League sides over the course of recent transfer windows.

 

 

Giraldi has admitted that if he had had his way at Watford then he would have taken the defender to England, revealing that the club’s scouts had run the rule over Kim.

 

He also revealed that he personally spoke to the defender, who would have been happy to join.

 

 

“I wanted to take Kim to Watford”, Giraldi said on Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli’s Radio Goal show.

 

“He was an interesting profile, he was playing in Korea [at the time].

 

 

“Our scouting team had watched him, I watched him live many times. Personally I appreciated his great discipline and work rate.

 

“I spoke to him personally. He has a great personality. He is not afraid of a one-on-one duel.

 

“We had the boy’s OK, but then he went to play in China at Beijing Guoan.”

 

Fenerbahce signed Kim from Beijing Guoan in last year and now the South Korean centre-back will look to cut his teeth in the pressure cooker of Serie A with Napoli.