Kang-in Lee: Valencia’s free exit still bites as Atlético deal yields small return | OneFootball

Valencia’s choice to rescind Kang-in Lee’s contract in 2021, allowing him to leave for nothing, continues to baffle. The forward left Mestalla at 20 and joined Mallorca. Now he has signed for Atlético Madrid.

As reported by AS, the club needed a non-EU berth to register Marcos André, with Maxi Gómez, Gabriel Paulista and the South Korean occupying those spots. With one year left and no intention to renew, Valencia cut ties to unlock the market, Mallorca snapping him up.

José Bordalás later offered a starkly different account. He said he never requested Kang-in’s exit, was surprised by it and had no say, adding the player trained only two days under him and looked the best.

Valencia’s line has long been that the coach did not see him as central to his plan. Time showcased Kang-in’s talent, as he flourished at Mallorca with 74 appearances, seven goals and 10 assists, then moved to Paris Saint-Germain. In four seasons in Paris he played 124 times, scoring 16 and assisting 15.

At Atlético he will inherit Antoine Griezmann’s number seven and is expected to be a key figure under Diego Simeone. It will be the Metropolitano that enjoys a player Valencia nurtured from the age of 10.

Valencia will now bank €1.4 million through training compensation and solidarity, with Mallorca due €600,000. This is a token sum next to his market value, especially for a footballer once protected by an €80 million clause. With hindsight, the call remains hard to justify.

Source: AS