"Lee Kang-in's New Jersey Number, the Legendary '7' Worn by Icons: Re-signing of Forlán and Griezmann — "Stepping into Atlético Madrid with a Heavy Responsibility""

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25), who departed from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to move to Atlético (AT) Madrid in Spain, has been assigned the new jersey number '7'. It is a number he has never worn since his debut and holds symbolic significance in the history of Atlético Madrid. The assignment of this number reflects the high expectations placed on him by local fans.

Lee Kang-in's transfer to Atlético Madrid was officially confirmed on the 25th (Korean time). The contract is for five years, running until 2031. According to various local reports, the transfer fee amounts to 35 million euros (approximately 58.3 billion won), with an additional option of 5 million euros (approximately 8.4 billion won) included. Lee Kang-in's return to the Spanish stage comes three years after his departure.

The sudden announcement of the transfer was not unexpected. For several days prior, it had already been considered a done deal that Lee Kang-in would join Atlético Madrid. Reports indicated that agreements between the clubs were finalized and personal negotiations were complete, leaving only the official confirmation pending. After a long wait, the official announcement was finally made today.

Lee Kang-in's new jersey number is 7. For Lee Kang-in, who wore numbers 16 and 20 at Valencia, and 19 at Mallorca and PSG, this is an unfamiliar number. Looking back at Atlético Madrid's history, it is also a symbolic number. The Spanish media outlet Marca highlighted that "the number 7 that Lee Kang-in will wear has held special significance in the history of Atlético Madrid."

There is a reason for this. Many renowned Atlético Madrid legends have worn the number 7 and graced the pitch. In fact, Lee Kang-in will immediately inherit the number of Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City), who long served as a team legend. A former French national team player, Griezmann made 501 appearances for the club, scoring 212 goals.

Moreover, legendary strikers such as Diego Forlán (Uruguay national team), Manolo (Spain national team), and Juninho Paulista (Brazilian member of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup winning squad, all retired) also wore the number 7 for Atlético Madrid. Lee Kang-in has now firmly etched his name into the history of the club's number 7 jersey.

Of course, not every player who wore the number 7 went on to achieve success. For instance, João Félix (Al-Nassr), who inherited Griezmann's number after he moved to Barcelona, was highly anticipated like Lee Kang-in. However, he could not meet the expectations associated with Atlético Madrid's number 7 and eventually left the club.

Marca stated, "The number 7 that Lee Kang-in will wear is a jersey once donned by club legends such as Forlán, Juninho, and Manolo. Of course, there were players like João Félix who could not bear the weight of such a symbolic number." The report added, "Lee Kang-in, inheriting Griezmann's number 7, has joined Atlético Madrid with a heavy sense of responsibility. This jersey embodies the expectation and will that Lee Kang-in will follow in Griezmann's footsteps over the next five years."

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*This content was translated by AI.