PSG Player Profile: Kang-In Lee

During the transfer window, PSG acquired a whole new squad of players and a coach, one being the 22-year-old Kang-In Lee for around 22 million euros. A fee that some might disregard because of the inflation in the transfer market over the past few years, however as someone who has never heard of this guy, I wanted to take a closer look at him.

With a La Liga upbringing, I felt that he would already be extremely technical on the ball, and bring a different versatility to PSG, almost acting as an attacking utility man. That said, he is a left-footed midfielder who has made appearances playing all over the pitch, from the left to the center, and on the right, he has had an impact on the game no matter where he is.

Lee started his career at Valencia, coming through their "B" side, and eventually getting first-team action. He then moved to Mallorca for free in 2021, where he made 73 appearances, and scored 8 goals before getting his move to PSG. The stats also do not lie, this kid is special. He has 2 G/A in 5 appearances in Ligue 1, and a Champions League goal.

He averages 1.34 xA (expected assists), as well as a 91.3% pass accuracy. He completes over half of the dribbles he attempts and is in the 83rd percentile for chances created among midfielders across the world.

What I like about this guy is that he is fearless on the ball. He is simply never afraid to take people on, no matter who they are. I remember watching the first Champions League game against AC Milan at the Parc Des Princes, he was completely toying with Théo Hernández, one of the best fullbacks in world football, just after netting his first Champions League goal for PSG from a beautiful decoy from Gonçalo Ramos.

Coming from La Liga, his attacking prowess makes total sense. La Liga is known for developing very skillful and quick attacking players, such as Vinicius Jr, Takefusa Kubo, and a certain Neymar Jr, to name a few.

When Kang-In Lee first touched down in Paris, I noticed that Neymar Jr was the first person to take him under his wing. Even though it was for a brief period before Neymar departed from Le Rouge et Bleu, a certain "bromance" looked to be forming. They spent every minute together, especially on away days. These moments can be important to a young player's life because they idolize players like Neymar in their youth. Therefore, to have one of your idols as your teammate and friend is magnificent.

Overall, I would say €22m is a complete steal. He has all the potential in the world to be great and is already showing incredible glimpses of what he can do when given the minutes.

I am extremely excited to see how Luis Enrique will develop throughout his time at the French Capital club, as well as see how he can provide for PSG in big games. If I had to give this transfer a grade, I would give it an A-, as it was a deal in terms of money, and his potential is through the roof.