PSG’s reshuffling in the summer brought in a lot of new faces at the Paris-based club. They were keen to build a young side that could lead PSG to European glory. One player who was signed by the club is South Korean forward Lee Kang-in. The 22-year-old came to Spain in 2011 and joined the youth set-up at Valencia at a young age. After graduating from the Spanish clubs’ academy, he got into the Valencia B team and then into the senior team.
After spending a decade at the club, Lee was allowed to leave on a free transfer to join Mallorca. After a decent first season at the club, Lee had a breakthrough in the 2022-23 season. He was one of the best dribbles in the top five European leagues by making the highest success rate of dribbles and the sixth-highest number of successful dribbles. PSG came in to sign the youngster and registered him on a five-year deal. He became a fan favourite and here is a look at Lee’s performances for his new club.
Versatile forward
Lee Kang-in is a left-footed winger who can play on both flanks. Kylian Mbappe plays mostly on the left side and this leaves the door open for either Dembele or Lee on the right side. The South Korean is not a regular starter for Luis Enrique but has spent quite a few minutes on the field for the French club.
The above viz shows that Lee likes to stay wide and waits for his moment to penetrate the opposition penalty box. He averages 3.36 touches inside the penalty box per 90 minutes.
The 22-year-old has once again shown his dribbling skills and is making an impact on the big stage. He looks more comfortable on the right side and has a better success rate from that particular side. Lee has completed 70.8% of his dribbles in the current season.
The forward gets past his opponents with his skills and tries to deliver key passes into the penalty box. Lee Kang-in likes to get involved in the game and averages 53.8 passes per 90 minutes. These numbers are on the higher side for a forward player. Most of these passes are short and link-up plays with a teammate. Lee averages nearly three passes to the opposition penalty box per 90 minutes and 4.35 to the opposition final third. He has yet to create a goal for his teammates.
The South Korean scored his first goal for the club against AC Milan after coming off the bench. He then scored a screamer against Montpellier at home. Lee is a left-footed player and likes to cut inside to open space for himself. The youngster has taken 10 shots and has been on target four times.
Another important element of his game is the ability to make recoveries in attacking areas. Lee has made three dangerous and six counter-pressing recoveries in the current season.
Lee Kang-in is making a name for himself in Europe. He is one of the top South Korean stars and is still young. PSG will hope that Lee settles well and helps his side to win championships.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
