"I want to play." Lee Kang-in finally demands a move to PSG... chooses 'playing time' over the trophy "Rapid progress toward Atletico"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25) is increasingly likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for Atletico Madrid. With his position in the team diminishing, he appears to have made the decision to find a club where he can re-establish himself as a starter.

Football specialist 'OneFootball' reported on the 4th (Korea time), citing European transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano, that Lee Kang-in requested PSG to accept transfer offers from other clubs in order to secure more playing time.

The media explained, "Atletico has been exploring a potential acquisition for several months and is a strong candidate for his next destination. They have already inquired about specific transfer conditions with PSG."

The decisive background for Lee Kang-in's transfer rumors is his limited role in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). While PSG reached the top of the 2025-2026 UCL season and achieved back-to-back titles, Lee Kang-in failed to reach the final stage for two consecutive years. This season, Lee Kang-in recorded 3 goals and 4 assists in 27 Ligue 1 matches, showing solid performance as a rotation player, but in the UCL, he was substituted in all 10 matches and was thoroughly excluded from the starting lineup.

Atletico Madrid's pursuit of Lee Kang-in is not the first time. They attempted to acquire him during the winter transfer market last year, but the deal fell through due to PSG's opposition, which considered tactical utilization and marketing effects in Asia. However, given Lee Kang-in's firm transfer desire after his stellar performance as a starter at Mallorca in the past, the situation this summer is expected to unfold differently.

Meanwhile, Lee Kang-in, having completed the season schedule, immediately joined the national team, shifting to the full-scale 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and Central America setup. He entered the pre-camp for coach Hong Myung-bo's team, established on the 1st in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and began training immediately.

With Lee Kang-in's arrival, the complete Lee Run (CEO) team played a final evaluation match against El Salvador on the 4th, before moving to Mexico, the decisive venue for the World Cup group stage A matches in North America and Central America.

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*This content was translated by AI.