South Korean star Lee Kang-in joins Atletico Madrid in a €40 million move, securing a significant profit for PSG as they overhaul their squad for next season.
PSG confirmed the sale of Lee Kang-in to Atletico Madrid on Saturday through an official statement.
According to an update on X by Paris Saint-Germain's social media handle, Atletico Madrid officially finalised the signing of Lee Kang-in from the Parisian club following recent negotiations.
The South Korean international was one of the brightest spots in a rather underwhelming World Cup campaign for his country, in which they had to depart after elimination in the group stage. Lee Kang-in stood out as one of the top performers, and he had already made up his mind to leave Luis Enrique's side this summer.
After almost ten years with Valencia, including a six-year stint with their youth academy, and two seasons with Mallorca later, the 25-year-old returns to Spanish top-flight football. He had fallen out of favour under Enrique's system as he was being used more as a utility player and could not find regular game time.
A report by Foot01 lays out the details behind Lee Kang-in's transfer. PSG has been able to make a net profit from his sale, as they bagged 40 million euros in transfer fees from Los Colchoneros. The player came to PSG three years back from Mallorca on a 22 million euros deal, and therefore, the French giants have managed to make a significant gain from this departure.
Lee Kang-in's sale marks the two-time European champions' efforts to free up space in their squad to bring in new faces. The recent transfer of Goncalo Ramos was part of this process too. However, PSG took an overall loss from the Portuguese's deal, as they bought him from SL Benfica for a rumoured €80 million including bonuses, and they sold him for €74 million.
PSG's official statement citing the transfer of Lee Kang-in read: "In three years wearing the Red & Blue jersey, Kang-In Lee played 124 matches, scored 16 goals, provided 16 assists, and added twelve trophies to his honours list—including two consecutive Champions League titles, to which he made a significant contribution. Paris Saint-Germain warmly thanks Kang-In Lee for everything he brought to the club and wishes him the best for the remainder of his career."
Meanwhile, the French capital side continues the race alongside the likes of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid for Barcelona man Ferran Torres. Enrique has more breathing space to offer a much favorable offer to Spain's World Cup hero to lure him to the club. However, an agreement on personal terms is still absent and the forward could go either way.
