Former Ulsan HD fullback Lee Myung-jae to sign with Birmingham: Report

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Former Ulsan HD fullback Lee Myung-jae to sign with Birmingham: Report

Ulsan HD fullback Lee Myung-jae, right, in action during the 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinal against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on March 12, 2024. [NEWS1]

Ulsan HD fullback Lee Myung-jae, right, in action during the 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinal against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on March 12, 2024. [NEWS1]

 
Former Ulsan HD fullback Lee Myung-jae will reportedly join countryman Paik Seung-ho at Birmingham City.
 

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Korean newspaper Sports Chosun reported Saturday that Lee, 31, is close to finalizing a deal with the League One club.
 
The European winter transfer window will close on Monday, but Birmingham can sign Lee after the window closes, as free agents can sign with a team at any time.
 
Lee became a free agent at the end of the 2024 K League 1 season after winning the league title with Ulsan.
 
The veteran fullback made his pro debut with the club in 2014. Apart from a half-season loan spell at Japanese team Albirex Niigata in 2014 and one-and-a-half-year stint with military club Gimcheon Sangmu, where players complete their mandatory military service, from 2020 to 2021, he has spent his entire career with the reigning K League champions. 
 
Known for his speed and accurate crosses, Lee played as a regular pick during Ulsan’s historic league title run from 2022 to 2024. His notable performance in recent seasons allowed him to earn his first senior cap in a World Cup qualifier against Thailand last March. Since then, he has been a regular starter for the national team with seven caps under his belt.
 
His move to Birmingham would bring the number of Korean players across men's and women’s teams to five. The women’s team is home to regular Korean women’s national team picks Cho So-hyun, Choe Yu-ri and Lee Geum-min.
 
The transfer will also make Lee the second Korean player in the third-tier league this season, following Paik.
 
Paik faced relegation to League One last season alongside Birmingham, but the club is on track this season, sitting four points clear at the top of the league table as of press time Sunday.
 

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]
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