Bordalás explains Kang In Lee’s Valencia exit and fallout | OneFootball

Kang In Lee’s exit from Valencia remains one of the club’s most contested calls. The Paterna graduate left on a free in 2021, and debate has sharpened after Atlético Madrid paid 40 million euros for him, with Mestalla receiving only 1.4 million.

José Bordalás had just taken over then. “When I arrived they told me Kang-in was already sold, that he had to go... I had no say in him leaving, and they let him go for nothing,” he said in 2023, speaking to Relevo.

“They said he was a bad team-mate and had to leave no matter what. It was incomprehensible. He trained only two days after returning from Korea and I told my staff he was the best.”

Within the club there were also suggestions that Bordalás did not consider him central to his project, a clash of versions that shaped the outcome and saw the player even portrayed as problematic.

Away from Valencia, Kang In flourished at Mallorca, where two seasons in LaLiga led to a move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 for around 20 million euros. His rise underscored Valencia’s financial loss as a homegrown talent increased his value far from Mestalla.

Source: Superdeporte