'Official deal imminent': Lee Kang-in's move to Atletico Madrid confirmed this week... "Transfer fee 525 billion won" — Heading to Madrid after ending World Cup heartbreak!

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in's (25) transfer to Atletico Madrid is virtually confirmed.

Spain's 'Marca' reported on the 1st (Korean time) that "Atletico has concluded negotiations over the past few weeks and plans to officially announce the signing of Lee Kang-in within this week."

The report explains that Atletico's leadership, led by Mateu Alemany, holds Lee Kang-in's abilities in high regard. The media stated, "Lee Kang-in is a versatile playmaker capable of operating on both flanks and in central positions. He possesses exceptional dribbling skills, powerful long-range shooting, and sharp combination play. In particular, his incisive final passes in the attacking third are considered his greatest strength."

It further explained that Lee Kang-in decided to transfer after his playing time at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) decreased, prompting him to seek a return to being a key player for his team.

Lee Kang-in has already reached an agreement on personal terms with Atletico. Negotiations progressed rapidly in line with Lee Kang-in's long-standing desire to return to the Spanish stage. PSG set the transfer fee at a base of 30 million euros (approximately 525 billion won), with additional bonuses. Following the South Korean national team's elimination from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Lee Kang-in's transfer process has gained further momentum.

Atletico has identified Lee Kang-in as the perfect replacement for Antoine Griezmann. With Griezmann's departure to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States in March creating a significant void in the squad, Atletico is betting heavily on acquiring Lee Kang-in. The club plans to swiftly finalize the signings of Lee Kang-in and Alex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen) ahead of the new season, which officially begins in July.

The media also revisited the incident when Valencia released Lee Kang-in. "Valencia created space for an average striker by paying over 80 million euros (approximately 14.1 billion won), while effectively letting go of an Asian star with potential to succeed on Europe's top stage for free. This is considered one of the worst operational cases in Spanish football," the report stated.

It further added, "At the time, Valencia rushed Lee Kang-in's transfer and failed to include a 'sell-on clause' that would have allowed them to receive a portion of the transfer fee if he were sold to another club, thereby missing out on significant financial gains."

However, Valencia will receive 3.5% of the transfer fee under FIFA's 'solidarity contribution' regulations. The solidarity contribution system distributes 5% of the transfer fee proportionally to clubs where the player was registered between the ages of 12 and 23. Mallorca, which signed Lee Kang-in at age 20, will receive the remaining 1.5%.

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*This content was translated by AI.