'Mystery': Kim Min-su Misses Asian Games, Fears Painful Loss of Strength Under Coach Lee Min-sung

*This content was translated by AI.

Local praise for Kim Min-su (20, Rangers), hailed as the future of Korean football, continues to pour in. After transferring to Scotland's most prestigious club with exceptional treatment, he has immediately made his presence felt. Yet, the fact that he will not participate in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is all the more puzzling.

Kim Min-su started in the away match against Aberdeen at Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland, on the 30th (Korean time) for the fourth round of the 2026–2027 Scottish Premiership. Just three days after joining Rangers on the 27th, he was named in the starting lineup for an official match. This followed exceptional treatment: a transfer fee ranking second-highest in club history at 10 million euros (approximately 16 billion won), and the prestigious number 10 jersey — both directly translating into his match participation.

He immediately made his presence felt. Playing as an attacking midfielder, he threatened the opponent's goal within the first eight minutes of the first half and attempted four shots over 72 minutes. Three of those shots were on target. His pass success rate reached 96%, with two key passes recorded. Sofascore rated him 7.2 points, while local outlet Glasgow World gave him a 7-point rating. Additional praise included comments that he "will open a new dimension for Rangers' attack."

In fact, his surprising performance is no surprise. He has long been recognized as a talented player who drew early attention even during his time in Spain. At one point, there were even discussions about his potential inclusion in the A national team under coach Hong Myung-bo. Last season, while playing for Andorra in Spain's second division, Kim recorded six goals and four assists. His performance was so strong that he was considered a candidate for the league's Player of the Month early in the season. This explains why Rangers invested a substantial transfer fee to sign him and granted him the exceptional privilege of wearing the number 10 jersey.

Yet, it is truly a 'mystery' that Kim Min-su will not wear the national team crest at the Asian Games. He was excluded from the final roster announced well in advance. Although he was included in the training camp call-up list for friendly matches in September last year under coach Lee Min-sung, he could not join due to club obligations. He did participate in training held in Cheonan in March this year but was ultimately not selected by Coach Lee during the final roster formation process. Despite being a talent recognized in Europe, he has not received an opportunity to compete at the Asian Games.

Since this tournament does not mandate national team call-ups, it is possible that no agreement was reached between his club and the national team regarding his participation. However, given that this year's Asian Games largely overlap with A-match periods in September and October, it would have been relatively easier to call up players from Europe compared to other tournaments. Thus, whether actual opposition from his club became an obstacle remains uncertain. Although he was born in 2006 and therefore not part of the U23 national team (which is primarily composed of 2003-born players), it was not due to age that he was excluded — younger teammates such as Park Seung-soo (Newcastle United), Yang Min-hyeok (Westerlo), and Kim Myeong-jun (Henk), all his same-age peers, were included in the squad.

Of course, roster numbers are limited, and with the second-line attacking positions already saturated, Coach Lee Min-sung may have faced deep deliberations. However, considering that Kim is the player in best condition among same-age second-line resources and has maintained his momentum since immediately joining Rangers, his exclusion remains a regrettable situation. Given the widespread concern that winning a gold medal will not be easy, overlooking Kim Min-su could ultimately result in an even more painful loss of team strength.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.