Lee Kang-in finds his feet at Luis Enrique’s PSG

From left: Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, Lee Kang-in and Achraf Hakimi train at Busan Asiad Stadium in Busan on Wedneday ahead of Thursday's preseason game against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. [YONHAP]

Newly-minted Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in is fitting in with manager Luis Enrique’s tactics as he prepares to display a good performance alongside the club’s already star-studded lineup.

Lee arrived in Korea with PSG Wednesday to participate in the Coupang Play Series — an annual exhibition series launched last year — where the team played K League side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in Busan on Thursday evening.

“I think the players are gradually getting into the football that the manager wants.” Lee said on the sidelines of a PSG open training session at Busan Asiad Stadium in Busan on Wednesday. “The style of play he wants will show as time goes on. Since this is the preseason, playing the football he wants and showing good cohesion with teammates is more important than the result.”

Lee joined PSG this summer from La Liga club Mallorca for 22 million euros ($24 million). He will now be playing alongside world-class players like Neymar and Marquinhos.

“I am not just close to Neymar but every player,” Lee said. “They welcomed me the moment I came to the club. I am honored to play with good players on the same team. I will continue to show a better performance.”

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. His arrival at PSG suggests he could be being groomed to take over Lionel Messi’s role in the midfield.

That reputation increased dramatically last season as Lee stepped out from the assists role and started 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.

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.

Prior to PSG, Lee had 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.

Lee was one of a number of new signings for PSG this summer, along with the edition of Enrique as manager.

After playing Jeonbuk on Thursday, PSG flew straight back to Europe ahead of the new Ligue 1 series starting next week.

BY JIM BULLEY AND PAIK JI-HWAN [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]