Lee Kang-in, who turned down a staggering 150 billion won offer from the Middle East, is on the verge of officially joining Atletico Madrid.

*This content was translated by AI.

With Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain) set to join Spain's La Liga side Atletico Madrid, it has been reported that he rejected a massive salary offer from a Middle Eastern club.

Ruben Uriarte, a journalist well-versed in Atletico Madrid news, revealed on his YouTube live broadcast on the 7th (Korean time) that "Lee Kang-in received a five-year contract offer with a net annual salary of 17 million euros (approximately 30 billion won) from a Saudi Arabian club, but he chose to play under coach Diego Simeone rather than for money."

Even though Lee Kang-in could have earned a net profit of 150 billion won by accepting the Middle Eastern offer and fulfilling only the contract period, he turned it down and opted for the move to Atletico Madrid. According to Capello, a player salary specialist site, the average annual salary of Atletico's squad last season was 6.213462 million euros (approximately 10.9 billion won).

Uriarte also added that Tottenham (England) and Juventus (Italy) had both pursued Lee Kang-in's signing, but he rejected all offers and expressed a desire to join Atletico Madrid. Tottenham explored the possibility of acquiring him, and Juventus maintained interest during the World Cup period, yet Lee Kang-in declined both. He further noted that Simeone, Atletico's coach, had already called Lee Kang-in to congratulate him on the transfer.

The scale of the transfer fee Atletico Madrid is paying to secure Lee Kang-in has also largely taken shape. Local media estimate the fee at around 35 million euros (approximately 61.2 billion won), while Uriarte explained that with an additional option clause of 5 million euros (about 8.8 billion won), the total could reach up to 40 million euros (around 70 billion won). The option is divided into two parts: a relatively easy condition worth 2 million euros (approximately 3.5 billion won) and a more difficult one valued at 3 million euros (5.3 billion won). The contract between Lee Kang-in and Atletico Madrid will run until June 2031, spanning five years.

Atletico Madrid has been interested in signing Lee Kang-in for quite some time. In January, the club had attempted to pursue his transfer, but negotiations fell through due to opposition from Luis Enrique, then PSG's coach. However, after the season concluded, talks resumed, and this time an agreement between the clubs was reached, pushing Lee Kang-in's move to Atletico Madrid into its final stages.

Lee Kang-in made his professional debut after progressing through Valencia's youth system, played for Mallorca, and joined PSG in the summer of 2023. The transfer fee at that time was 22 million euros (approximately 38.5 billion won). After moving to PSG, he featured as a rotation player and accumulated double-digit attacking points in each of his first two seasons. However, his role diminished noticeably in the 2025–2026 season, particularly in the UEFA Champions League, where he was effectively deemed outside the main squad and played not a single minute from the Round of 16 second leg through to the final.

Amid this, Atletico Madrid's persistent interest continued, and PSG has now approved Lee Kang-in's transfer despite having two years remaining on his contract. Major local media outlets in Spain and France, along with transfer market experts like Fabrizio Romano, are all treating Lee Kang-in's move to Atletico Madrid as a done deal. An official announcement regarding the transfer is expected imminently. Although Atletico Madrid's club size is smaller than PSG's, it remains one of Europe's top teams, not just in Spain. The chance to return to a more familiar Spanish stage and face relatively manageable competition for a starting spot are also key factors making this move appealing to Lee Kang-in.

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*This content was translated by AI.