Atletico Madrid confirmed the signing of South Korean star Kang-in Lee from Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday. The 40 million euro deal ranks because the second costliest switch of a Korean participant in soccer historical past.
South Korean media report that Atletico pays 35 million euros to the Parisian membership, plus 5 million euros in simply achievable add-ons. Lee turns into Los Rojiblancos’ third signing of the summer time, following Morten Hjulmand and Alejandro Grimaldo by way of the door.
Only Kim Min-jae’s transfer to Bayern Munich for 50 million euros in 2023 tops it. The payment comfortably surpasses Son Heung-min’s 30 million euro swap to Tottenham in 2015, an indication of the rising market worth of Korean gamers throughout European soccer.
Media circles in Seoul hailed Lee as the primary Korean participant to succeed in “the big three in La Liga”, the choose group Atletico have deservedly joined alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona in recent times.
Sources within the Korean capital reckon adapting to Diego Simeone’s philosophy will not pose a serious problem. Lee boasts lengthy expertise in Spanish soccer, having joined Valencia’s academy on the age of ten earlier than making his first-team debut. He then moved to Mallorca and on to Paris Saint-Germain, who had been received over by his excellent performances.
The 24-year-old brings intensive European expertise, and his arrival seems to be like a qualitative enhance to Atletico’s ambitions of competing for home and continental titles.
