Lee Kang-in joins Paris Saint-Germain on five-year deal

Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday announced the signing of Lee Kang-in from RCD Mallorca for 22 million euros ($24 million).

Lee Kang-in poses with a Paris Saint-Germain shirt in a photo released by the club on Saturday. [PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN]

Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday announced the signing of Lee Kang-in from RCD Mallorca for 22 million euros ($24 million).

The 22-year-old midfielder, who spent the last two years with La Liga club Mallorca, arrives in Paris on a five-year deal through 2028.

Lee, who was directly involved in 13 goals last season, has been linked to PSG for the last month, alongside multiple clubs including La Liga side Atletico Madrid and Premier League team Aston Villa.

"It's incredible to be able to join Paris St-Germain," Lee said. "It's one of the biggest clubs in the world, with some of the greatest players in the world. I can't wait to start this new adventure."

A versatile midfielder with a serious turn of speed and some fancy footwork among his arsenal, Lee has been a well-watched player for years as a promising playmaker with energy to spare. His arrival at PSG suggests he could be being groomed to take over Lionel Messi’s role in the midfield.

Lee Kang-in poses with a Paris Saint-Germain shirt in a photo released by the club on Saturday. [PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN]

That reputation increased dramatically this season as Lee stepped out from the assists role and started causing some serious damage: Half of his goals this season came in the space of 10 days in late April and early May.

Lee has established himself an especially effective playmaker, using fancy footwork to beat defenders and his impressive accuracy to get the ball up to the front.

That skill was on display in Qatar, where he very quickly made a name for himself, appearing in all four games and making a mark in his World Cup debut against Uruguay, when Lee and Cho Gue-sung came on as late substitutes and immediately breathed new life into a flagging team.

Against Ghana, Lee came on in the 57th minute and within less than a minute he had driven a beautiful cross into the box for Cho to head home.

That one-minute assist likely turned more than a few heads in Europe’s big five leagues, where attention had already been on the young midfielder.

But what Lee has to offer that puts him up amongst the best midfield prospects in the market is not necessarily his goal-scoring itself, but his ability to hold the ball for such long periods of time.

Lee Kang-in poses with the Korean flag while wearing a Paris Saint-Germain shirt in a photo released by the club on Saturday. [PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN]

Lee’s goal on May 1 against Athletic Club was started by Lee as he out dribbled a player at the halfway line and finished by Lee after a one-two in the box. That goal was par for the course for the young midfielder who scored a brace against Getafe with some serious panache just a week earlier.

A week before that, Lee completed nine successful runs in a game against Celta Vigo, the most completed by any Mallorca player in a single game since 2009 according to statistics accumulator Opta.

Lee’s ability to keep hold of the ball has long been a major factor in his game. In 2021 he completed 10 runs in a game against Celta Vigo while playing for Valencia, and that season the Center for International Sports Research ranked him as the top player under 21 in the big five European leagues for dribble success rate.

Dribble success rate may not be a particularly exciting statistic for many football fans, but it’s exactly the sort of thing that scouts are very impressed by.

Lee has only ever played for two clubs, both in Spain. He has long been a fan favorite back home, where he has been seen as the future of Korean football since starring on TV show “Fly Shoot Dori” at just six years old.

He moved to Valencia a few years after that appearance and spent 10 years in the academy before being dropped in 2021 and moving to Mallorca.

Lee is the fourth player to join PSG this summer, after midfielder Manuel Ugarte, central defender Milan Skriniar and striker Marco Asensio.

The club also has a new manager, with former Spain and Barcelona coach Luis Enrique taking over this week.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]