Lee Kang-in to Atletico, Griezmann paved the way! Director Simeone, who only looks for 'LEE' when he leaves for MLS, "0th place for successors."

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25) is expected to fill the spot where Antoine Griezmann (36) left.

European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said on his social media (SNS) on the 23rd (Korea time) that "the oral agreement between Griezmann and Orlando City has ended." At the same time, he left a signature phrase called "Here we go" only when the transfer is confirmed.

According to Romano, Griezmann will move to a free agent status after being accompanied by Atletico. Initially, there were discussions on whether to join in March, but this failed. Finally, it was decided to join through the summer transfer market in July 2026.

Spain's "Marca" also reported that Griezmann will be on a flight to the U.S. this week to complete all the preparations and finalize the contract. It is expected that the final contract will be signed within this week to complete the official process.

Specific terms of the contract are also being outlined. Griezmann is likely to sign a two-year contract with Orlando City. Since his time at Atletico, he will wear his uniform No. 7 and enjoy the MLS stage. The locally estimated annual salary is more than 12 million dollars (about 18.2 billion won).

As Griezmann goes to Orlando, the possibility of Lee Kang-in's transfer to Atletico is growing. This is because Lee Kang-in has been frequently mentioned as Griezmann's successor recently.

Spain's 'Football Espana' recently said, "Atletico has already begun to identify targets for this summer's transfer market. In particular, we are discussing recruiting Lee Kang-in to reinforce the offense," he reported.

"The South Korean national team player is having difficulty getting a regular starting opportunity at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)," he added. "Atletico officials believe that he, who played in Valencia and Mallorca in the past, will be attracted to returning to the Spanish stage."

The key is the transfer fee and whether to renew the contract. The media said, "PSG wants 40 million euros (about 68.4 billion won) as a condition for Lee Kang-in's summer transfer." Currently, PSG is reportedly trying to sign a new contract with Lee Kang-in. If Lee Kang-in agrees to renew the contract, the transfer to Atletico will be canceled, but if the agreement is not reached, PSG, the European defending champion, is ready to accept an offer of around 40 million euros and sell the player.

Spain's "Mundo Deportivo" recently explained, "The main reason PSG blocked Lee Kang-in's transfer last winter was because of Luis Enrique's strong trust." "But in reality, he is being used as a rotation resource or a joker rather than a solid starting player, and the player himself wants a more important role as a starting player."

"Lee Kang-in is very happy with La Liga's interest, which he feels like his home league, and is seriously considering moving to a team that is guaranteed to start," he added.

Meanwhile, Lee Kang-in has three goals and four assists in 31 games this season. In particular, as Lee Kang-in helped Bradley Barcola's winning goal in the 24th round of the "2025-2026 Season League 1" away match against Le Havre on the 2nd, Spain's "As" praised, "There was a very good reason why Atlético wanted Lee Kang-in to reinforce its power in the transfer market last winter."

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*This content was translated by AI.