Undercover superstar: PSG’s Lee Kang-in

Paris has gone Lee Kang-in mad! Since the 22-year-old midfielder joined from Mallorca in the summer, PSG have sold more of his shirts than those with Mbappé on the back. Europeans may not yet realise, but PSG have got themselves a veritable superstar! For Fabien Yoon, who works for Korean television, Lee has made Paris more attractive than ever.

“You can see more and more Koreans here,” Yoon told the Ligue 1 Show. “I see so many here in the stadium and all over the city. They’ve come to see Lee Kang-in! Honeymooners are coming to see games. It’s funny, because we’re going to be seeing this more and more.”

Synergy

Meanwhile, influencer Moon Jou can see how the synergy between player and club brands is paying off.

“Lee has fans of all ages in Korea, young and old,” Moon explained. “It’s a perfect match for PSG – he just had to show what he’s capable of on the pitch.”

Lee has been a celebrity back home for some time. When he was six, he starred in a TV reality show about football, and his talent and charisma stood out.

“He was a bit shy and then out on the pitch he became the king,” continued Moon. “Even as a boy, he could turn on the style. Everybody said ‘he’s the future star of Korean football, he’ll [lay of the national team in the future’.”

Odyssey

Lee left his homeland aged just ten, joining Valencia and then Mallorca, where he did well, making 66 appearances in La Liga. Since moving to France, he has played six league games, scoring one goal and making another. His sound technique, versatility and determination have already made him a favourite both in the stands and the dressing room.

“He has a lot of qualities and desire,” said Peg coach Luis Enrique. “He works hard both in attack and in defence. He doesn’t lose the ball under pressure and he’s hungry.”

Praise that constitutes no surprise for Moon.

“We knew that he’d explode at the highest level, it was a matter of time,” said the influencer. “The fact it’s happened at PSG is just incredible.”

Bottom line

PSG are reaping the benefits of Lee’s presence. As well as being a useful player for Luis Enrique, he’s ensuring that the French champions are more popular than ever in Asia.

“When there’s a game like PSG-Le Havre at 13:00 on a Sunday like this weekend, that’s 21:00 in Korea and everything will go crazy!” said moon. “People follow all of his games back home – some even get up in the middle of the night to watch.”

At 22, there is still a long way to go, but the 19-year-old Parisian has everything it takes to become Asia’s new star and follow in the footsteps of national team star Heung-Min Son.

“I think he’ll get to become the star, he’s still young and has so much potential,” declared Yoon. “He’ll get better. When you see what he’s already doing in the national team and with PSG, it’s clear that he’ll be one of South Korea’s best players for the next five to ten years.”