‘Golden Boy’ Lee Kang-in’s move to Paris Saint-Germain is imminent. European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said on Thursday (ET): ‘Paris Saint-Germain have reached a full verbal agreement with Lee Kang-jin on a long-term contract. Lee has already completed the main part of his medical. Paris Saint-Germain is finalizing the final details of the contractual arrangements with Mallorca. After that, the ‘here we go’ will come,” he said. “Here we go” means official. So we’re right before the official.
It’s an amazing twist. The race to Paris Saint-Germain suddenly took off. It started with L’Equipe journalist Matteo Moretto, who had reported on Lee several times. On the 13th, Moreto tweeted, “Lee’s future lies outside of Spain. Paris Saint-Germain is the most likely destination,” he reported. “Paris Saint-Germain have been following Lee’s situation for months,” he said, adding, “Negotiations between Paris Saint-Germain and Mallorca are progressing well. A personal agreement with the player has already been reached. We want to finalize the details, including bonus clauses, to complete the transfer.
On the same day, Marca also mentioned Paris Saint-Germain. ‘With Lee unlikely to stay in Mallorca, several English Premier League clubs have been linked with Atletico Madrid. Recently, Paris Saint-Germain have also entered the race for the player. ‘Paris Saint-Germain president Luis Campos is keen to sign Lee. Paris Saint-Germain have guaranteed him a place in the first team and the Champions League.
After this report, the French side also started to move, and the highly authoritative French ‘L’Equipe’ and ‘RMC Sports’ started to report that Lee Kang-in was close to joining Paris Saint-Germain. L’Equipe reported that “Paris Saint-Germain have been working for weeks to sign Lee Kang-in and will sign a formal contract until 2026 or 2027 as soon as he finishes his schedule with the South Korean national team. According to L’Equipe, Lee completed a medical in Paris this week. It is believed that he traveled through Paris to complete the final stages of his transfer from Mallorca to join the A team.
According to Leciffe, it was “only a matter of time” before Lee joined Paris Saint-Germain. According to Leciffe, Paris Saint-Germain’s asking price for the player is believed to be around €20 million ($27.5 billion). RMC Sports estimated it at €22 million ($30.2 billion). Considering the options, it is possible that the deal could have been signed for around €20 million. Both are above the 18 million euros that was reportedly Lee’s buyout. As Mallorca are also keen to get rid of Lee and move on, it’s likely that the deal will be finalized quickly.
A big increase in salary According to Marca, Lee will receive 30% of the transfer fee from the deal. He didn’t have to pay a transfer fee when he left Valencia for Mallorca, so his move to Paris Saint-Germain is a big win for him. 30 percent of €22 million equals €6.6 million (approximately $9.1 billion). That’s more than 11 times what Lee was earning at Mallorca. Paris Saint-Germain is likely to offer more than Atletico Madrid’s 4 billion won, so his salary will rise vertically. Lee earned a low salary of around 700 million won at Mallorca. He will receive a portion of the transfer fee to make up for his lack of money.
The long, long saga of Lee Kang-in is coming to a close with the Paris Saint-Germain signing. Lee, as he is known, was one of the “hot commodities” this summer. Lee has been one of the best performers this season. In 36 games (33 starts) in the Spanish Primera Liga, he played 2,840 minutes and메이저사이트 scored six goals and six assists. He became the first Korean player to reach double-digit offensive points in La Liga. Lee became the first Korean to be nominated for Player of the Month and Team of the Year. He didn’t win, but he made history in his own right. After scoring a fantastic goal against Burnley that was reminiscent of Son Heung-min’s Puskas Award-winning goal, Lee was named the best goal of the 30th round of La Liga. This is also a first for a South Korean player.
Lee has made a whopping 90 successful dribbles this season, ranking fourth in dribbling success among Europe’s top five leagues. In La Liga alone, he is second only to the ‘Dribbling King’ Vinicius Junior. His success rate is a different story. It’s a landslide. Lionel Messi is at 50%, but Lee Kang-in is at 68%. He also leads the league in key passes and chances created. Mallorca are in ninth place thanks to Lee’s performance. This is a remarkable achievement considering they were initially relegation candidates. The Mallorcan press has called Lee “a key and irreplaceable player for Mallorca” this season, giving him a season rating of 10 out of 10. Marca also named him La Liga’s Best 11 in terms of fantasy points, Silver Eleven, All-Second Team, and Best Midfielder. This is a first for a South Korean player.
After Atletico Madrid, he was courted by Aston Villa, Manchester United, Newcastle, Burnley, Wolverhampton, and Brighton in the English Premier League, Real Betis in La Liga, AC Milan and Napoli in Serie A, among others. Atletico Madrid, in particular, have been linked since the January transfer window. As the summer approached, the courtship of Atletico Madrid was intense after the player stayed in Mallorca. However, due to the amount of money involved, it was a drama-filled story of interest, withdrawal, offer, and stalled negotiations. However, on the 12th, after Atletico Madrid failed to reach an agreement with Mallorca, and after reports that the player’s chances of joining Atletico had virtually disappeared by 99.9%, his destination changed to Paris Saint-Germain.
‘In the end, the player’s destination will be outside of Spain,’ said Révoir, ‘and his future will be decided this week.’ That outside of Spain is not England, but France, and Paris Saint-Germain. The sudden emergence of Paris Saint-Germain, a club that has never been mentioned before, has written a twist of drama.
Paris Saint-Germain set out to rebuild this summer. The centerpiece was the attacking line. Lionel Messi was out of contract and torn between a move to Saudi Arabia and a return to Barcelona, so he opted for Inter Miami. The idea of working with a global organization appealed to him. Paris Saint-Germain offered to re-sign Messi to keep him, but he balked. Neymar has also been linked with a move away, as he hasn’t been able to fulfill his potential due to frequent injuries and poor performances. Not only Saudi Arabia, but also Chelsea and Man United in England are currently monitoring Neymar.
Add to that Kylian Mbappe’s possible departure. According to the BBC, “Mbappe has informed Paris Saint-Germain that he will not be renewing his contract”. Mbappe’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain runs through the 2023-2024 season. There is an option for a one-year extension, but the option is reportedly in Mbappe’s hands. If Mbappe doesn’t opt in, his contract expires next summer. Of course, Paris Saint-Germain are not willing to let Mbappe go so easily, but it’s not easy to hold onto a player who has left.
As a result, Paris Saint-Germain need to strengthen their attacking line immediately. At the center is Lee Kang-in. He can play in any attacking position. In particular, stylistically, he has the technique to replace Messi. Despite the addition of Marco Asensio, he could give Paris Saint-Germain another option. Especially with the lack of a No. 10, he could be used depending on the new manager’s tastes. In fact, the French media has even recognized him as a possible replacement for Messi. Plus, he can be marketed to Asia. Mallorca have expressed their satisfaction with Lee’s ability to draw clouds of spectators to their training grounds. Paris Saint-Germain is interested in marketing in Asia, having toured Japan last year and considering a tour of South Korea this summer. Lee Kang-in is a resource for the future and the present, both on the field and in marketing. It’s a lottery ticket worth scratching.
France is a very physical league, but Lee’s technique is more than up to the task. Add to that the fact that he’s surrounded by top-notch teammates, and the potential for synergy is huge. At Mallorca, Lee was a fantastic passer, but he was unable to generate any offense. Paris Saint-Germain have made a shrewd move to win him over, offering him guaranteed first-team football, Champions League football, and a long-term contract.