Twenty3’s Under 23s to watch: Lee Kang-in
Paris Saint-Germain have a Lionel Messi-shaped hole to fill in their attack — and Lee Kang-in is ready to step into the void.
Though it would be foolish to suggest the South Korean starlet is a ready-made replacement for Les Parisiens’ former frontman, supporters at Parc des Princes have plenty of reasons to be excited by the club’s newest arrival.
Following his £18.8million switch from LaLiga outfit RCD Mallorca, we’ve fired up Twenty3’s Toolbox to get the low-down on what Lee will bring to PSG.
Increased output
Much of Lee’s time in Spain has been solid if unspectacular, at least in terms of his output.
A total of 44 league appearances for Valencia from 2019-2021 yielded just two goals and four assists, though the 22-year-old was restricted to 18 starts for Los Che.
It was a similar story upon transferring to Mallorca in the summer of 2021, with his first campaign at Son Moix resulting in a solitary LaLiga goal and two assists.
But Lee significantly upped his goal contributions last term. A career-best tally of six league goals was matched by six assists, which was the joint fifth-most of any player in Spain’s top flight.
Dynamic dribbler
There is much more to Lee’s game than simply his end product, however.
For starters, he is an outrageously talented dribbler, with an exceptional ability to run at defenders and beat his man.
That is reflected in the numbers. The 14-cap international ranked just outside LaLiga’s top 10 players for attempted (175) and completed (100) dribbles last term, while only six players won more attacking duels than his 164.
Chance creator
Lee isn’t afraid to deliver crosses into the box, with a commendable 29 of his 78 deliveries finding their intended target in 2022/23.
But the Incheon native typically looks to try and play his team-mates in behind defences, ranking inside LaLiga’s top 15 players for completed through-balls (14).
Perhaps most notably, his passes resulted in clear goalscoring opportunities, assisting 54 shots — the sixth-best record in Spain.
Set-piece sensation
One of Lee’s greatest strengths is his delivery from set-pieces.
No player in the entire division took more free-kicks than the forward last season (81), and he was also the highest-ranked player when it came to free-kick accuracy (42).
Though he didn’t manage a single effort on target from dead-ball situations, Lee’s primary focus is on getting the ball to his team-mates in such scenarios.
PSG potential?
PSG need to replace 16 Ligue 1 goals and 14 assists following Messi’s departure — and Lee will be hoping the drop in standard from LaLiga to France’s top tier will see an upturn in his numbers for both metrics.
However, there are some unanswered questions about how the attacker will fit into Les Parisiens’ system.
He excelled when paired with 6ft 4in targetman Vedat Muriqi last term, but is unlikely to be operating alongside a similar focal point at Parc des Princes.
New manager Luis Enrique favoured a 4-3-3 formation with Spain in his previous role, so may utilise a similar set-up next season. That could see Lee operate as an out-and-out winger or as part of a fluid trio up front.
We may therefore see different aspects of the South Korean’s skill set come to the fore in Paris — but he certainly has the all-round attributes to make a big impact with the French champions.
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