Atlético Madrid have confirmed the signing of Lee Kang-in: a contract to 30 June 2031, the number 7 shirt and a return to La Liga after three seasons at Paris Saint-Germain. The club announced the move on 25 July. Neither side disclosed the fee: international agencies place it between 35 and 40 million euros, a figure that should be treated as a report and not as contractual detail.
The deal at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Player | Lee Kang-in |
| Date of birth | 19 February 2001 (25) |
| Place of birth | Incheon, South Korea |
| Position | Attacking midfielder or winger |
| Foot | Left |
| Height | 1.73 m |
| From | Paris Saint-Germain |
| To | Atlético Madrid |
| Contract | To 30 June 2031, number 7 shirt |
| Fee | Undisclosed, reported at 35 to 40 million euros |
| International | South Korea, 50 caps |
A return, not an arrival
Lee is not landing in Spain, he is going back. He arrived at Valencia aged ten in 2011 and grew up there until his professional debut at seventeen in 2018, the youngest South Korean to make his professional debut in European football. He won the Copa del Rey with Valencia in 2019 and made 62 appearances by his new club’s count. Then came two seasons at Mallorca, 73 games, and the move to Paris in 2023.
Three years at Paris Saint-Germain produced 124 appearances, 16 goals and 16 assists, again according to the figures published by Atlético. Those are the numbers of a heavily used player, a little over forty matches a season, at a club that rotates its attacking options constantly. The honours list holds three Ligue 1 titles, two French Cups, two French Super Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and, above all, back to back Champions League wins in 2025 and 2026.
There is an older line worth remembering too: in 2019 Lee won the Golden Ball at the Under 20 World Cup, the award for the tournament’s best player, with South Korea finishing as runners-up. He was eighteen.
The hole he has to fill
The context matters more than the fee. Atlético finished the 2025-26 La Liga season fourth, behind Barcelona, Real Madrid and Villarreal, and lost the Copa del Rey final on 18 April to Real Sociedad, 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in extra time. Diego Simeone has been confirmed for the season now starting, with a contract that expires in 2027.
Meanwhile Antoine Griezmann has gone, joining Orlando City after becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals, passing the 173 of Luis Aragonés. His departure removed the player who held the two attacking phases together: the one who received between the lines and played the final pass.
That is precisely the space Atlético have tried to cover. Lee is a slight left-footer, 1.73 metres, and the club introduces him with three ideas: vision, ball control, and the ability to pass and shoot. He is not a replacement for Griezmann in goals, because nobody carries that record, but he is a profile built for the same area of the pitch.
The price, if confirmed
The fee deserves the conditional, since there is no official source for it. If the total really did stop between 35 and 40 million, it would be a moderate price for a twenty-five-year-old with two Champions League medals and fifty caps. The market for left-footed creators is not crowded, and clubs that own one rarely let him go in mid career.
Paris have offered no public explanation for the sale. What can be observed is the number: 124 games in three years describes a player inside the rotation, not one pushed out of the project. The contract to 2031, for its part, says Madrid see a long-term investment rather than a one-summer patch.
What to expect now
Lee has had a heavy summer. He played all three group games at the World Cup, with South Korea eliminated after two defeats, so he arrives with only a few weeks of rest behind him, in a league he knows but left three years ago.
The real question is not about talent, which has been documented since he was seventeen. It is about fit: Simeone’s football asks attacking midfielders for defensive work that was not the priority in Paris. If Lee handles that part of the job, Atlético have solved the most delicate problem of their summer in one move. If he does not, they will have bought an excellent player for a team that plays a different way.
Sources: official Atlético de Madrid announcement, international news agencies, public archives and specialist press. The transfer fee was not disclosed by the clubs and should be treated as a report.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Lee Kang-in cost Atlético Madrid?
Neither club disclosed the fee. International news agencies place it between 35 and 40 million euros, so it should be read as a report rather than as official contractual detail.
Who is Lee Kang-in?
A South Korean attacking midfielder born on 19 February 2001 in Incheon. He came through Valencia's academy, played for Mallorca and joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, winning two consecutive Champions League titles there.
What position does Lee Kang-in play?
He is a left-footer of 1.73 metres whom the club presents as an attacking midfielder or a winger on either flank. The qualities credited to him are vision, ball control and the ability to pass and shoot.
What shirt number does he wear at Atlético?
Number 7, on a contract that runs until 30 June 2031.
Why did Atlético need this kind of player?
Antoine Griezmann left Madrid as the club's all-time leading scorer with 211 goals. The role of the player who sets up the others was left open, and Lee Kang-in is the first attempt to fill it.
