A 40 million euro signing already under the microscope
Atletico Madrid confirmed Kang-in Lee on 25 July, on a deal running to 2031. Close to 40 million euros went to Paris Saint-Germain for a player Los Colchoneros had chased across several windows. Paris said no the previous winter. This summer, after another Champions League triumph, the door swung open.
The 25-year-old South Korean landed as a marquee man. “We are ready to win. That’s the most important thing in football,” he said at his unveiling. The commercial side moved faster than the football. Marca reports his shirt was the club’s best seller after a single appearance in the new colours, and Atletico are preparing an official store in Seoul.
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Six appearances, not one full ninety
The start was decent enough. Thirty-three minutes off the bench against Malaga on 19 August, and a left-foot finish that went on to win Spain’s goal of the month. Then three Liga starts: Villarreal (66 minutes), Sevilla (72 minutes, one assist), Bilbao (59 minutes). On 9 September he started the Champions League tie with Liverpool and came off after 59 minutes.
One detail keeps repeating itself. Kang-in Lee has not finished a match for Atletico. On Sunday against Real Sociedad, a 3-0 win, he was in Diego Simeone’s XI again. He was off again before the closing stretch.
Marca gets the pencils out
“Kang-in touches the ball too much” ran the Marca headline on Monday. The paper argues that his ability to start moves from deep has turned into a brake: “No ball resists the excellent Lee when he builds from the back. He drops deep, controls it… and keeps it. The problem comes when the game demands a burst of speed.” The stick they measure him against is Antoine Griezmann, whose first-time passes sprang Llorente and Giuliano Simeone in behind.
AS logged a shot inside four minutes and a good cross on 24, then flagged the hesitation. Mundo Deportivo was gentler, calling him active but short on consistency. Simeone defended the substitution. “Kang-in was often receiving the ball with his back to goal,” said the Argentine, insisting there is “no specific problem.” Sport Chosun in South Korea read the same quotes and decided the coach had called his player out in public. Osasuna away on Wednesday night is coming round fast.
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