Between Kang-in Lee and Atlético de Madrid, there were initially several missed meetings. Substitute at Paris Saint-Germain, the South Korean was approached on several occasions by the Colchoneros, who wanted to make him a potential starter. Last winter, the Madrilenians came back to attack again. The 25-year-old footballer was keen to return to La Liga after his time in Mallorca and above all become one of the headliners of the new project. But Luis Enrique and PSG closed the door once again. This summer, after another victory in the Champions League, the Ile-de-France residents agreed to let him go. But the Colchoneros had to wait a little before everything returned to normal. On July 25, they were able to formalize his signing until 2031.
“The South Korean international midfielder, who recently played in the World Cup, joins our club from PSG, with whom he won the last two Champions Leagues”could we read in the press release published by Atlético. A club which put nearly €40 million on the table to recruit him. In the process, the player displayed his great ambitions. “We are ready to win. This is the most important thing in football. We have fantastic players and technical staff. It’s essential to have that mentality of wanting to win everything. And I think we will be able to achieve our goals (…) I see the team doing very well. This year we will win a lot and bring a lot of joy to Atlético fans.”
More than a recruit
Even before playing, he brought some to his club, which is rubbing its hands with its new goose that lays golden eggs. As in Paris, tunics flocked with Lee’s name sold a lot. Marca even said that he was the player whose jersey sold the most after his first match in his new colors. The Colchoneros will also ride on this by opening an official store in Seoul. On the pitch, things also started quite well. Against Malaga on August 19 in La Liga (33 minutes of play), he opened his goal counter. A strong and inspired achievement from the left which was even voted goal of the month of August in Spain. Then, he continued with 3 starts in La Liga against Villarreal (66 minutes, August 23), Sevilla (72 minutes, August 29) and Bilbao (59 minutes, September 5).
He also delivered 1 assist against the Sevillians. On September 9, he started the match against Liverpool in the Champions League. He was lined up for 59 minutes before leaving. Yesterday, Lee was again present in Diego Simeone’s starting lineup against Real Sociedad (3-0 victory). But his performance did not excite the crowds. In Spain, the Madrid recruit suffered his first criticism this Monday. In a passage from an article entitled “Kang-in touches the ball too much”, Marca writing : “one of Kang-in’s greatest assets, for Atlético, has also become one of his main weaknesses. No ball resists the excellent Lee when he restarts from defense. He bends down, controls it… and keeps it. The problem arises when the game requires acceleration.
Lee faces his first criticism
Marca continues: “In recent years, we have been looking forward to first-touch passes from Griezmann in a similar situation to Kang-in. Passes that allow players like Giuliano and Llorente to rush into spaces. For now, Atlético’s new number 7 provides security in the build-up of the game, but does not pose a threat on the first touch. This is where the Rojiblancos have room for improvement. Griezmann is a special case, but Atlético sorely lacks precision in the first touch. A.S. also believes that he can and must do better. “Kang-in put Remiro to the test in the 4th minute and delivered an excellent cross in the 24th. As on other occasions, he lacked the speed to react in certain situations, sometimes hesitating too much when a first-intention pass could have accelerated the attack. The South Korean was not one of the most prominent players of the match.
Mundo Deportivo is a bit less critical. “The South Korean has been one of the most active players. He showed intent, with some interesting strikes. His position on the right allows him to try things. However, he must gain in regularity. After the match, El Cholo Simeone returned to the performance of his player, whose exit coincided with the Madrilenians’ best period. “Kang-in often received the ball with his back to goal, and in this position, while the opponent took advantage of his positioning, Jonathan (David) gave us more depth. He challenged longer balls differently, which gave the team a new dimension. The entry into play of Arnau (Ortiz) also gave us depth. He is a young player who has time to progress. One-on-one, against a tired opponent, and with the responsibility of leading the game to break through the opposing defense, he has the required qualities, and he demonstrated it today.
In South Korea, we expect better
The Argentinian also added: “A match lasts 90 minutes. This was the case against Liverpool and Bilbao. We lost 0-3 against Bilbao and we felt like we didn’t understand what happened. A match is long and the pace can change constantly. Real Sociedad put up an excellent defense against the combinations between Baena and Kang-in. They had two dangerous chances in the first half. Us too. However, the course of the match did not allow us to be certain of the victory of one or the other team. We were not at peace. The same scenario repeated itself in the second half. We have strengthened our workforce through changes. The player gave everything, and I made this decision because I felt that a teammate was in better shape for the final sprint. There is no particular problem (…) Fortunately, it worked (the changes, editor’s note). Otherwise, you would have wondered why we released Lee Kang-in and Baena.”
For Sports ChosunSimeone left “taken publicly from Lee”. The South Korean media, however, admitted: “this is something Kang-in Lee needs to improve on as well. Countering tight marking in the final third of the pitch is essential, including methods used to prevent him from dribbling forward. Maintaining your intensity to keep playing and avoid being substituted after 60 minutes is also crucial. The match against Real Sociedad could have been an opportunity for Lee Kang-in to progress further. The attacking midfielder, who has not yet played a single full match in Madrid, will perhaps have the opportunity to show all his qualities on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Osasuna in La Liga. The new number 7 of Atlético de Madrid knows he is eagerly awaited.
