Paris Saint-Germain’s 23-year-old midfielder Lee Kang-In has reportedly rejected huge offers to stay at PSG.
“PSG surprise: key player Lee Kang-In rejects two astronomical offers,” France’s Foot-Sur 7 reported on Thursday.
Lee joined PSG last summer from Mallorca. He struggled to make an impact at the start of the season due to injuries and being away for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. However, after returning from the Asian Games with a gold medal, he began to cement his place in the starting lineup.
However, in the second half of the season, his time on the bench gradually increased. Although he rotated between different positions, he was more of a first-choice substitute than a regular starter. He ended the season with three goals and four assists in 23 league games and five goals and five assists in 36 official matches. There were mixed reviews of Lee Kang-in locally.
However, Lee’s potential was clear to see: he started and came off the bench, showing creativity, a sharp kick, and an improved defense. Considering he was born in 2001, there was plenty to look forward to. Lee also helped PSG win the ‘Domestic Treble’ (Ligue 1, Trophée des Champions, Coupe de France), including being named MVP of the final of the Trophée des Champions.
Lee is still with PSG for the 2024-2025 season.
However, he reportedly could have left Paris in the summer transfer window. He even reportedly turned down two astronomical offers.
“Another transfer market star has become a sensation,” said Foot-Sur7. “Another transfer market star has created a sensation. Lee Kang-In surprised everyone by rejecting two tempting offers to stay at PSG,” said a source, ”Lee Kang-In wants to shine at PSG. He plans to leave his mark at PSG. According to Le Parisien, many major European clubs have considered signing him and have investigated his situation.”
Two clubs that were serious about signing Lee were Serie A giants Napoli and a Saudi Arabian club backed by ‘oil money’. “Napoli, who are looking to bolster their attacking lineup following the departure of Victor Osimhen, were also keen on Lee. The Saudi club was also very interested in the player, even making an unconventional offer. It’s safe to say that Lee’s popularity has exploded in just one year in a PSG jersey.”
However, both Lee and PSG were not ready to say goodbye. 메이저사이트 “However, Lee did not respond to these requests. The same goes for PSG, who don’t want to continue these discussions, especially since Luis Enrique is a big fan of the player.”
In fact, Enrique said last week, “I am very happy with Lee Kang-in, he is very different from other players. I knew him from the beginning because he played in La Liga. He can play in midfield as well as up front, he’s very versatile, both physically and technically. He is a very good player, both physically and technically,” he said.
What’s more, Lee has a huge presence off the field as well.
“Beyond the important marketing aspect, he is PSG’s top shirt seller after the departure of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, so he is a very important factor,” Foot-Sur7 emphasized, ”and therefore a sale of the player, who is under contract until June 2028, is completely ruled out.”
Interest from overseas clubs has been heard since last summer, when France’s Foot Mercato reported that a Premier League (PL) side had offered 70 million euros (about KRW 104.1 billion) for Lee but was rejected. In the UK, McPhail Media claimed that Newcastle United had made an official inquiry to PSG, with Lee a “dream target”.
There have also been reports that the Saudis want to make Lee the highest-paid player in the league. Currently, the highest paid player in Saudi Arabia is Cristiano Ronaldo, who reportedly earns around €200 million per year at Al Nasr. It would have been an epic signing.
But as it turned out, it didn’t materialize.
PSG were so keen to keep him that they immediately gave up on signing Osimhen when Napoli demanded him on a trade card. European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also called Lee “untouchable” at PSG.
Lee started the season in fine form at PSG, opening the scoring in the opening game and scoring his second league goal of the season in the second round against Montpellier after only 28 minutes of play.
However, it seems that Enrique sees him as a substitute rather than a regular starter. He was relegated to the bench shortly after the opening game and was left out of the starting lineup against Girona in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). It was a performance that even Brest’s coach, who had met him in person, said he was impressed with, but it wasn’t enough to change Enrique’s mind.
In his most recent game, against Stade Reims, Lee started the match and put in a sharp performance before being substituted in the second half, but was unable to add anything to the attack. If Lee continues to be treated as a rotation player, the interest from foreign clubs will only intensify.