With reports of ‘2004 Storm center back’ Kim Ji-Soo (19-Seongnam FC)’s imminent move to Brentford, fans are excited about the possibility of a ‘Korean derby’ with ‘Tottenham ace’ Son Heung-Min in the English Premier League (EPL) opener.
Tottenham’s opening game of the new season is against Brentford. Son Heung-min’s Tottenham will host Brentford in the opening match of the 2023-2024 EPL season on Aug. 13 at 10 p.m. ET.
On Aug. 17 (KST), Fabrizio Romano, a journalist specializing in soccer market transfers, confirmed the news of Kim Ji-soo’s transfer via social networking services (SNS). “Brentford have signed Kim Ji-soo from Seongnam FC and
“Brentford have reached a full agreement to sign South Korean center back Kim Ji-soo, born in 2004,” and added the signature phrase ‘Here we go’ to confirm the transfer, and since then, various media outlets have been racing to confirm Kim’s move to Brentford.
Kim Ji-soo received an official offer from EPL side Brentford last month. The negotiations took off as the work permit issue, which could have been a stumbling block for Kim Ji-soo, who has never played an A-match, was resolved smoothly. The news of Kim Ji-soo’s transfer was announced early when Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin, the club’s owner, made it “official” through Facebook. “Kim Ji-soo from Pungseng High School came to visit the mayor of Seongnam as soon as he returned from Argentina today after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Kim Ji-soo will leave the country next week to join Brentford, a club in the English top division, the EPL,” and within three days, news of the transfer was confirmed through foreign media.
Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin on social media
Kim Ji-soo, who has been touted as the “next Kim Min-jae” and has attracted interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and Sporting Lisbon, was the starting center back for Kim Eun-jong-ho at the U-20 World Cup in Argentina. With his dominant physicality (1.92-84kg), one-on-one combat, ability to win aerial balls, and soccer acumen, Kim started every game from the group stage through the third- and fourth-place matches, helping South Korea secure their second consecutive quarterfinal appearance and earning a spot in the tournament’s Best 11.
Kim will join London-based Brentford, who finished third in the English Championship (second tier) in the 2020-2021 season and won promotion to the Premier League through the promotion playoffs. In the 2022-2023 season, they finished ninth in the EPL with 15 wins, 14 draws, and 9 losses (59 points), just one place below eighth-place Tottenham. While it’s unclear whether the promising defender will be able to adapt to the preseason storm and make the opening day squad, the fact that the game will be played in the comfort of Brentford’s own backyard will be a strong motivator for the youngster, who is currently enjoying his seventh consecutive season of double-digit scoring.스포츠토토
Meanwhile, Son’s Tottenham will embark on a preseason Asian tour to Australia, Thailand, and Singapore from July 18. On July 18, Tottenham will play a friendly against West Ham at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, before facing Leicester City at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 23. After a final trial with former Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma at the Singapore National Stadium on the 26th, the team will return to London to prepare for their season opener against Brentford.