Major league clubs are showing growing interest in South Korean national team players performing at the World Cup in North and Central America.
Fabrizio Romano, a journalist renowned for his credibility on football transfers, said on YouTube Sunday, "Lee Kang-in is Atletico's top transfer target. A personal agreement is close, and transfer fee negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will get underway in earnest."
Rumors of a transfer to Spain's Atletico Madrid had been raised steadily before the World Cup, and they now appear to be taking concrete shape through this tournament. Lee Kang-in is a major leaguer who won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles with PSG, but he is eyeing a transfer opportunity due to his limited standing in the squad, where playing time is hard to come by. He previously joined PSG on the back of his performance at the Qatar World Cup four years ago.
Lee Kang-in is proving his value at the World Cup, recording a 100% pass completion rate in the group stage opener against the Czech Republic. As Coupang Play announced Monday that it will host a friendly match between Atletico and Manchester City at Seoul World Cup Stadium on August 9, expectations are spreading among domestic fans that "it will be a stage for Lee Kang-in to greet Korean fans after his transfer to Atletico."
Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland), a 190-centimeter center-back born in 2002, has seized a golden opportunity to leave the Danish league and move to a major league. Lee Han-beom showed stability no less than that of "Iron Pillar" Kim Min-jae as one axis of the three-back alongside Kim in the group stage. With his devoted playing style, he displayed tough defending, excellent aerial duels and build-up ability, greatly raising his value.
British outlet Team Talk named five English Premier League (EPL) teams watching Lee Han-beom, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle, Brighton and Leeds. Local reports also emerged that he is a transfer candidate for Italy's Napoli, Kim Min-jae's former club.
In addition, major league transfer rumors surrounding Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City) and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic) are also gradually emerging.
