‘Golden Boy’ Lee Kang-in leaves Mallorca.
The ‘captain’s pitch’ came first. Mallorca president Pablo Ortells told radio station Ondaçero: “We have decided to let Lee go this summer. We’ll use the money to buy the players the coach wants.” The Spanish media also confirmed the speculation. “The greatest player for Mallorca in the last decade will say goodbye to the club after the final game of the season,” said OK Diario, “and the club is already looking for his replacement. ‘Time to say goodbye to the wizard,’ said Football de Mallorca.
Lee was undoubtedly Mallorca’s ace in the hole. He is in the best form of his career this season. He has six goals and five assists. It’s the first double-digit offensive point total for a South Korean player in La Liga. On March 2, Lee was nominated for the Primera Liga’s Team of the Year for the 2022-2023 season. Lee was nominated in the midfield category alongside Luka Modric, who is considered the best midfielder in the world, as well as Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Frankie Douillon, Pedri, and Pablo Gabi (Barcelona). This is the first time a South Korean player has been nominated for Team of the Year. On April 28, he was also named Vesque Goal of the 30th round of La Liga. Lee received a whopping 65% of the vote, beating out Rafa Mir, Alexis Sanchez, Cesc Fabregas, and Ferrantores. Lee scored the winner against Getafe after sprinting 70 meters in second-half stoppage time. It was reminiscent of Son Heung-min’s goal against Burnley, which won him the Pushkas Award. Lee is the first South Korean player to win the Best Goal of the Round award. Lee was also nominated for the April Player of the Month award alongside Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Inaki Williams (Bilbao), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid), and Ronald Araujo (Barcelona). Lee is also the first South Korean player to be nominated for the award.
Lee Kang-in’s skills have been on full display this season. The records speak for themselves. He ranks fifth in Europe’s top five leagues in successful dribbles per game. In La Liga alone, he is second only to Vinicius Jurior. His success rate is even more impressive. 68%. That’s a staggering 68%. Even Lionel Messi is in the 50s, so you can see how good Lee is at dribbling. His key passes and chances created are also among the best in the league.
Not surprisingly, big clubs are calling. It doesn”t matter which league you play in. Atletico Madrid and Real Betis in La Liga, Napoli and AC Milan in Serie A, and Man United and Aston Villa in the English Premier League are all trying to sign Lee. Initially, Lee’s destination seemed to be narrowed down to Atletico Madrid. There were multiple local reports that Atletico Madrid wanted Lee. As it turns out, Atletico Madrid also wanted to sign Lee in the winter transfer window. Lee was looking for a new challenge, but was unable to fulfill his wishes due to opposition from Mallorca.
Suddenly, the tables have turned, with reports claiming that Atletico Madrid will set a buyout clause for Lee after Diego Simeone failed to approve his signing. ‘The idea that Atletico Madrid will pay €20 million for Lee is nonsense,’ said Spain’s Marca. ‘Atletico Madrid’s hierarchy have made it clear that they will not sign him for €20 million. It would have to be below €10 million for him to be a possibility. Cádena Ser’s Pedro Pulana even took to social media to say: ‘Atletico Madrid are not interested in Lee Kang-in. He is not on the transfer list.
However, interest from other clubs hasn’t stopped, and it’s growing. Every club looking for a creative midfielder has made a bid for him. Napoli, who are likely to see their top players leave after the title, have three midfielders on their list, including Lee. Sassuolo’s Armand Loriente and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Esper Lindström are also on Napoli’s list. Real Betis, who recently qualified for the Europa League, are also in the market. Manuel Pellegrini is a coach who utilizes creative midfielders well.
There”s a lot of interest from English clubs in particular. Aston Villa have been interested in Lee for quite some time, and now that they’ve qualified for the European Club Championships, they’ve become more aggressive. Man United is another club that wants Lee. Newcastle, the ‘underdogs’ in the Champions League, have no problem paying his buyout, while Tottenham, Wolverhampton, Burnley, and Brighton are also keeping an eye on him. English clubs could be the ones to fulfill his needs when it comes to money.
And it seems that Atletico Madrid haven’t given up on him yet. Enrique Canieras, a reporter for Spanish outlet Pichajes, wrote on Twitter that “Atletico Madrid have offered a €15 million transfer fee to sign Lee, while giving attacking option Rodrigo Riquelme to Mallorca on loan”. Mallorca are now also reportedly considering the deal.메이저놀이터
Lee’s buyout clause is said to be €20 million. Mallorca’s position is that they are willing to pay at least €18 million. This would be the second highest transfer fee in Mallorca’s history. Mallorca want to get rid of him quickly and rebuild. The bidding war for Lee has begun.