Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are set to part ways with Luis Enrique. South Korea international Lee Kang-in is also expected to join the French club.
French publication ‘Le Parisien’ reported on June 26 (KST), “Only a few details remain before PSG will replace their head coach. Enrique will take over after the departure of coach Christophe Galtier. The contract is expected to be for a basic two seasons with an option to extend by one season. PSG are looking forward to the appointment of Enrique and an official announcement could come as early as this coming Wednesday.”
“Unless there are changes, Enrique will succeed Galtier. From that moment, PSG will spend a second time in the transfer market. Lee Kang-in and Luca Hernandez (Munich) could arrive in Paris. I worked closely with President Nasser El-Khelaifi and coach Luis Campos to evaluate Lee and Hernandez.”
Lee is next on Enrique’s list. “At a very early stage, several players underwent medical tests,” the source said. In particular, South Korean prospect Lee Kang-in. As reported by L’Equipe, Lee has undergone a medical in Paris but still needs to reach an agreement with Mallorca.” PSG wants to reduce the transfer fee by up to 25 million euros (about 357 million won).
Last season, Lee was ‘Mallorca itself’. His breakaway runs, darting dribbles, and sharp link-ups stood out in every game. The Spanish newspaper OK Diario said of Lee: “The greatest Mallorca player of the last decade is leaving”. 안전놀이터
One of the things PSG will be looking for from Lee is dribbling. At the end of the season, PSG parted ways with Lionel Messi, whose relationship with the club had cooled after his unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia. PSG president Campos was looking for a player to fill a similar role to Messi and chose Lee.
Negotiations moved quickly. Atletico Madrid, a potential next destination, backed out several times due to financial difficulties in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite a relatively cheap buyout, Mallorca lured them with a cash-and-trade offer. However, the clubs were unable to agree on a deal and Lee was strongly linked with PSG instead of Atletico.
Lee was called up to the South Korean national team under Jürgen Klinsmann and played an A match in June. He was a revelation against Peru (0-1 loss) and El Salvador (1-1 draw). An official announcement of his move to PSG is expected once the transfer fee is finalized.