'Lee Kang-in's Bold Prospect': Position and Status Completely Changed; Expected to Start as a Twin Striker from the AT Madrid Opener

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25), who transferred from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to Atletico (AT) Madrid, is expected by local media to start in the opening match of the new season.

Spanish outlet AS on the 13th (Korean time) forecasted the 2026-2027 Spanish professional football La Liga opener and included Lee Kang-in in its 'expected starting lineup for the opening match.'

The new La Liga season kicks off at 2:30 a.m. on the 16th with a match between Deportivo Alaves and Getafe at Estadio de Mendizorroza in Spain.

AT Madrid, where Lee Kang-in plays, will face Malaga slightly later at 4 a.m. on the 20th at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain. This will be AT Madrid's first official match of the new season and their home opener.

AT Madrid traveled to Marseille, France, for an away match on the 15th at 12:30 a.m., played their final pre-season game there, and will immediately prepare for the Malaga match upon return.

Lee Kang-in, who joined the team for the first time after arriving in Spain on the 7th following a delay due to departure-related documentation issues that kept him in Korea, played his unofficial debut for AT Madrid against Manchester City two days later. He then participated in the Marseille match as his final preparation before immediately entering the new season.

With little time to build chemistry with teammates and limited hours spent in team training due to various reasons, Spanish outlet AS still predicted that Lee Kang-in would start alongside Ademola Lookman in the La Liga opener against Malaga as a twin striker.

For a late-joining transfer player to start in the opening match after playing only two pre-season games is, even by expectation, a bold move.

This forecast also reflects Lee Kang-in's changed status and position since joining AT Madrid. At his former club PSG, Lee Kang-in held the status of a 'rotation resource' and was effectively ranked low within that rotation group.

In the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League (UCL), which carried the highest importance last season, he did not start in a single match. Furthermore, from the second leg of the quarterfinals through to the final, he was left out of four consecutive matches despite being available as a substitute, clearly demonstrating his marginalized status at PSG.

Even as PSG solidified its position as Europe's undisputed top team with back-to-back UCL titles, Lee Kang-in's decision to leave PSG and join AT Madrid reflected his strong desire to consistently feature in matches not merely as a rotation player but as a core member of the team.

Fortunately, AT Madrid—from the sporting director to the head coach—was genuinely committed to acquiring Lee Kang-in. His significantly improved status immediately after the transfer has now extended to expectations that he will start in the opening match.

Additionally, the prediction of him starting as a twin striker can be interpreted to mean that while Lee Kang-in was primarily deployed on the right flank or in midfield at PSG, his role at AT Madrid will carry more weight as a forward attacker.

In his unofficial debut for AT Madrid against Manchester City last time, Lee Kang-in was immediately positioned at the very front upon entering as a substitute and operated between midfield and the wings, becoming central to the attack.

Head coach Diego Simeone explained at the time: "Lee Kang-in can play on the flank and also as a second striker today. Given his abilities, he will change positions according to the team's needs."

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*This content was translated by AI.