The possibility of Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) transferring is growing. News has emerged that a team from the Italian league also wants him.

On the 9th (Korean time), the Italian media outlet Napoli Più reported that Napoli is aiming to acquire Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), mentioning Lee Kang-in's name as well.

The prominent Italian sports newspaper Corriere dello Sport also reported on the same day that 'Napoli is targeting Lee Kang-in. Born in 2001 and a left-footed player, he is a midfielder capable of playing in all three positions, perfectly fitting into Napoli's plans.' The Naples-based sports media Napoli Calcio also noted, 'Head Coach Antonio Conte is focusing on Lee Kang-in's excellent technique. His main position is attacking midfielder, but he can also be utilized as a second striker or right winger. The estimated transfer fee for Lee Kang-in set by Transfermarkt is €30 million (about 47.1 billion won).'

Paris Saint-Germain is reportedly looking for a minimum transfer fee of €40 million (about 62.9 billion won). However, according to Corriere dello Sport, Napoli wants less than €25 million (about 39.3 billion won).

With speculation linking him to English Premier League (EPL) Arsenal, his situation is drawing increased interest due to links to Napoli as well.

According to reports, Giovanni Manna, the Director General of Napoli, is keeping an eye on Darwin Núñez (Liverpool), Jonathan David (Lille), and Samu Omorodion (Porto) to strengthen the attacking front and is considering Lee Kang-in as a side option.

Lee Kang-in has previously been linked to Napoli during last summer's transfer window. At that time, Paris Saint-Germain was pursuing the acquisition of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, but Napoli offered some players including Lee Kang-in as exchange cards. However, negotiations fell through when PSG did not accept the proposal.

Nevertheless, Napoli still appears to be interested in Lee Kang-in. Amid speculations about acquiring De Bruyne, his name has been mentioned again, suggesting that he remains on the acquisition list.

Arsenal's interest in Lee Kang-in has not cooled.

Global sports media ESPN reported on the 9th, quoting the British newspaper The Sun, that 'Lee Kang-in is being linked with Arsenal.' Spanish media Estadio Deportivo also reported on the 4th that 'Arsenal is showing renewed interest in Lee Kang-in, and has already determined the transfer fee.'

'Head Coach Mikel Arteta personally wants Lee Kang-in and has made an official offer to PSG. The acquisition could be a matter of time,' they noted.

Arsenal's new Director General Andrea Berta had also pursued the acquisition of Lee Kang-in while at Atletico Madrid in 2023. This was derailed when Lee Kang-in moved to Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile, there are views that Lee Kang-in's recent social media activities may be hinting at a transfer.

He removed the 'PSG' phrase from his Instagram profile. Additionally, he has not updated any PSG-related posts for nearly two months. Some fans interpret this as a signal of an impending transfer.

However, there are opinions suggesting that it is a hasty assumption, considering that other information, including that of South Korea, has also been removed.

Lee Kang-in's narrowed position is contributing to the transfer speculation.

Recently, he has remained on the bench for four consecutive games, from the first leg of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarterfinals to the second leg of the semifinals. In league matches, he has seen more substitutions than starts.

French media are analyzing that Lee Kang-in has been excluded from Head Coach Luis Enrique's plans.

After parting with key players such as Kylian Mbappe, Enrique required fierce competition among players in the second line. At the beginning of the season, Lee Kang-in had made an impressive performance with 6 goals and 6 assists in the league. However, injuries arose later, and he fell behind in the competition for a starting spot.

Paris Saint-Germain will face Inter Milan in the UCL final at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on June 1. If Lee Kang-in participates in this match, he will become the third South Korean player to step onto the Champions League final stage, following Park Ji-sung and Son Heung-min.

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