Lee Kang-in could be PSG's replacement for Lionel Messi

Mallorca midfielder Lee Kang-in celebrates after scoring against Getafe in a La Liga game at Son Moix stadium in Mallorca, Spain on April 23. [EPA/YONHAP]

Mallorca midfielder Lee Kang-in is in “advanced talks” to join French football giants Paris Saint Germain (PSG), according to multiple reports Tuesday.

Lee, who was directly involved in 13 goals last season, has been linked to multiple clubs this season including La Liga side Atletico Madrid and Premier League team Aston Villa. PSG was not mentioned as a possible contender before this week.

‘PSG have reached full verbal agreement with Kang-in Lee on long term contract, the player completed main part of the medical,” Fabrizio Romano, the Italian journalist who is seen as Europe's top authority on transfer news, tweeted on Tuesday. “Final details being sorted with Mallorca over deal structure — then, here we go.”

Romano was not the first to report the news, with Spanish sports news website Relevo publishing a story with the same basic information earlier in the day. Romano’s confirmation elevated the story to more than a mere rumor, with reputable French sports daily L'Équipe also reporting the deal is nearly done. Some European outlets have even put a number on the transfer — 15 million euros ($20 million), 3 million euros more than the offer rumored to have been made by Atletico.

Lee’s popularity this summer comes as little surprise.

When Lee Kang-in was shipped off to Mallorca two years ago, it was clear that this was a make-or-break moment in his career. Lee could either capitalize on the opportunity to take a bigger role at a smaller team or be bitter about his mistreatment at the hands of Valencia and fail to adapt to the new circumstances.

Lee chose to capitalize, and the results have been spectacular.

With six goals, seven assists and a nomination for La Liga Team of the Season under his belt, there is absolutely no doubt in anybody’s mind that Lee’s time on the sunny island of Mallorca is coming to an end.

A versatile midfielder with a serious turn of speed and some fancy footwork among his arsenal, Lee has been a well-watched player for years as a promising playmaker with energy to spare.

That reputation increased dramatically this season as Lee stepped out from the assists role and starting causing some serious damage: Half of his goals this season came in the space of 10 days in late April and early May.

Lee has established himself an especially effective playmaker, using fancy footwork to beat defenders and his impressive accuracy to get the ball up to the front.

That skill was on display in Qatar, where he very quickly made a name for himself, appearing in all four games and making a mark in his World Cup debut against Uruguay, when Lee and Cho Gue-sung came on as late substitutes and immediately breathed new life into a flagging team.

Against Ghana, Lee came on in the 57th minute and within less than a minute he had driven a beautiful cross into the box for Cho to head home.

That one-minute assist likely turned more than a few heads in Europe’s big five leagues, where attention has already been on the young midfielder.

But what Lee has to offer that puts him up amongst the best midfield prospects in the market is not necessarily his goal-scoring itself, but his ability to hold the ball for such long periods of time.

Lee’s goal on May 1 against Athletic Club was started by Lee as he out dribbled a player at the halfway line and finished by Lee after a one-two in the box. That goal was par for the course for the young midfielder who scored a brace against Getafe with some serious panache just a week earlier.

A week before that, Lee completed nine successful runs in a game against Celta Vigo, the most completed by any Mallorca player in a single game since 2009 according to statistics accumulator Opta.

Lee’s ability to keep hold of the ball has long been a major factor in his game. In 2021 he completed 10 runs in a game against Celta Vigo while playing for Valencia, and that season the Center for International Sports Research ranked him as the top player under 21 in the big five European leagues for dribble success rate.

Dribble success rate may not be a particularly exciting statistic for many football fans, but it’s exactly the sort of thing that scouts are very impressed by.

Lee has only ever played for two clubs, both in Spain. He has long been a fan favorite back home, where he has been seen as the future of Korean football since starring on TV show “Fly Shoot Dori” at just six years old.

He moved to Valencia a few years after that appearance and spent 10 years in the academy before being dropped in 2021 and moving to Mallorca.

That Lee could now be headed to PSG may seem like an unexpected move — and many fans may fear that it’s the wrong move as the potential to be underutilized or sidelined is high at the cash-rich club. Opportunities may have been higher at a team like Aston Villa, where Lee likely would have been able to take center stage quite quickly.

But PSG may not be the end of the world. Lionel Messi is out, having agreed a move to Inter Miami when the Ligue 1 season ended, and Kylian Mbappe is said to have one foot out the door and a Real Madrid move on the table. That still leaves a ridiculously strong squad in Paris, but there might be room for Lee to step up in Messi’s wake.

That all depends on how much playing time he actually gets.

If the PSG move is confirmed — and there has been no official word from the club or Lee’s people as of press time Wednesday — it will inevitable be another make-or-break moment in Lee’s career. Unlike in Mallorca, however, this one may not be entirely in his control.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]