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The Paris transfer market continues its major downsizing. After Gonçalo Ramos, PSG officially announced on Saturday the departure of Kang-In Lee to Atlético Madrid for an estimated fee of €40 million. The 25-year-old South Korean attacking midfielder has signed a five-season deal with the Spanish club, closing a three-year chapter in the French capital.
A long-awaited transfer
Kang-In Lee's departure surprised no one in the corridors of the PSG Campus.
Kang-In Lee's departure surprised no one in the corridors of the PSG Campus. Heavily rumored since the opening of the summer market, the South Korean topped the list of players the club wanted to offload to ease a wage bill swollen by three seasons of ambitious recruitment. FC Barcelona and several Premier League clubs had made inquiries, but it was ultimately Atlético that sealed the deal.
Diego Simeone, the Colchoneros' coach, was determined to strengthen his right attacking flank. Kang-In Lee, a left-footer capable of cutting inside, fits the profile sought. The player will wear the number 19 at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Paris Saint-Germain makes an accounting profit on a player bought for €22 million from Mallorca in 2023. Above all, it frees up a spot in a squad where competition promises to be fierce with the returns of Xavi Simons and the rise of Warren Zaïre-Emery in midfield.
Three seasons in chiaroscuro in Paris
Arriving with a flattering reputation forged at Real Mallorca, Kang-In Lee never truly broke through at PSG. His Ligue 1 statistics tell a story of ups and downs: 4 goals and 6 assists in 2023-2024, 7 goals and 9 assists in 2024-2025, then a more discreet 2025-2026 campaign with 3 goals and 5 assists, started and finished in a substitute role.
His two Champions League titles won with Paris, however, weigh heavily in his balance sheet. A starter in the 2025 final against Real Madrid, he delivered the assist for the second goal from a corner. That moment remains his finest achievement in the red and blue shirt.
Luis Enrique, who started him 47 times in three years across all competitions, never hid his appreciation for the player. The Spanish coach praised his "ability to beat players in tight spaces" but privately regretted his inconsistency over 90 minutes.
Atlético, a new start
In Madrid, Kang-In Lee finds a league he knows well and a coach renowned for getting the most out of players with a similar profile. Antoine Griezmann, Ángel Correa, and Yannick Carrasco have all experienced resurgences under Simeone after difficult spells elsewhere. The South Korean obviously hopes to follow in that line.
Atlético, third in La Liga last season behind Real Madrid and Barça, is actively preparing a 2026-2027 campaign in which it aims to reclaim the title that has eluded it since 2021. With the combined arrivals of Kang-In Lee and Portuguese defender Gonçalo Inácio, the Colchoneros show clear ambitions.
On the PSG side, this transfer brings the total sales since the reopening of the market to nearly €100 million. A sum that comes at the right time to fund the current priority: signing a central defender capable of succeeding Marquinhos.