How well does Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) have to perform?

France's 'Le 10 Sport' reported on the 23rd (Korean time) that 'Pierre Ménès strongly criticized PSG's signing of Lee Kang-in as a terrible choice.' PSG drew 1-1 with Nantes in an away match at Stade de la Beaujoire in the 29th round of the 2024-2025 French Ligue 1 on the same day. Having already secured the championship, PSG maintained an unbeaten streak of 30 matches with 24 wins and 6 draws since the start of the season.

Lee Kang-in also started and provided an assist. Playing as a right winger, he assisted Vitinha's opening goal with a brilliant pass in the 33rd minute, marking his sixth assist of the season. It was his first attacking point in about two months. On that day, he left the pitch after being substituted for Gonzalo Hamus in the 63rd minute. During his 63 minutes on the field, he recorded 1 assist, 1 shot, and 2 chances created. Soccer statistics media 'Footmob' gave Lee Kang-in a score of 7.8, the third highest at PSG. However, PSG missed out on victory by conceding a goal in the 38th minute.

Nevertheless, French journalist Ménès unleashed criticism towards Lee Kang-in. Le 10 Sport reported, 'What if PSG signed a bad contract? This reflects Ménès' thoughts on Lee Kang-in's signing. In his view, Lee Kang-in scores 0 points at PSG. Ménès also candidly addressed the controversy surrounding Lee Kang-in's appeal in Asian marketing.'

Ménès, who previously worked as a columnist, claimed through his YouTube channel, 'Is Lee Kang-in selling more jerseys than PSG is paying him? I’m not sure. I refer to him as 'terrible Lee Kang-in.' I don't think he’s a bad player. But PSG is too high a level for him.'

He also commented, '(Players like Lee Kang-in) would perform better at clubs with less pressure than PSG. But I’ve never seen Lee Kang-in dribble. In my opinion, it's a signing mistake.' He added, 'Vitinha scored after receiving a ball thrown in the air by Lee Kang-in. It was credited as an assist to Lee Kang-in. He just added an assist thanks to Vitinha.'

Of course, it is true that Lee Kang-in is having difficulties competing for a starting position in the second half of the season. However, it is quite unreasonable to belittle a player who has recorded 6 goals and 6 assists in the league. Particularly, telling a player who has recorded assists that he was just lucky is a disrespectful statement.

Currently, Lee Kang-in is engulfed in transfer rumors due to being sidelined in PSG's internal competition. Until the first half of the season, he had secured playing time by taking on roles from a false nine to wing player to central midfielder. While it was unfortunate that he couldn't establish himself firmly in one position, he received praise from coach Luis Enrique.

However, immediately after the winter transfer market ended, the atmosphere shifted. Lee Kang-in became a bench member after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia joined the team. Ousmane Dembélé has performed phenomenally and was designated as the new striker, while Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola have also earned coach Enrique's trust. In midfield, Vitinha, João Neves, and Fabian Ruiz are chosen first.

Naturally, transfer rumors began to surface. France's 'Sport' claimed, 'Lee Kang-in was brought in to solidify his position in PSG's midfield, but he has not become an essential player at all.' It added, 'The PSG management is considering selling Lee Kang-in to make room for new reinforcements. It is still unclear whether they will choose to loan him out or transfer him to revitalize his career in Paris.'

France's 'Foot 01' also reported, 'Lee Kang-in has not established himself as a firm starter in the coach's mind and seeks more playing time. Such a situation cannot continue in the long term. It is now time for Lee Kang-in to leave. A transfer seems inevitable,' noting that Crystal Palace and Manchester United are targeting Lee Kang-in.

In this situation, criticisms from people like Ménès continue. From Lee Kang-in's perspective, the situation is quite challenging. He is facing all sorts of derogatory remarks from local media, being targeted even when he manages to show his skills, having been sidelined from the starting lineup. It is noteworthy whether Lee Kang-in will embark on a new challenge in this situation.

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