Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) will again miss a key match.
Paris Saint-Germain will face Reims in the final of the 2024-25 Coupe de France at 4 a.m. (Korean time) on the 25th at their home ground, Stade de France in Paris, France. PSG aims for back-to-back titles in the tournament and their 16th overall victory. Additionally, having won Ligue 1, PSG seeks a double by also winning the cup competition.
However, Lee Kang-in is not expected to start in this crucial match where the championship is at stake. 'Footmob' did not include Lee Kang-in's name in the predicted best eleven for PSG. PSG is expected to start Kvaratskhelia, Dembélé, Dou, Luiz, Vitinha, Neves, Mendes, Pato, Marquinhos, Hakimi, and Donnarumma.
Lee Kang-in is likely to wait on the bench, but it is uncertain whether he will be called upon. Lee Kang-in also did not receive playing opportunities in PSG's final match of Ligue 1 this season. This season, Lee Kang-in contributed to PSG with 6 goals and 5 assists, but he did not celebrate.
Paris Saint-Germain achieved a significant 3-1 victory against Auxerre in the final match of the 2024-2025 Ligue 1 season held at Parc des Princes in Paris, France, on the 18th. Having already secured early championship, PSG had an overwhelming season with 26 wins, 6 draws, and 2 losses.
After the final match, PSG players celebrated the victory together. Lee Kang-in also enjoyed the moment by raising the championship trophy along with his teammates. However, Lee Kang-in did not play even a single minute in the final match. He waited on the bench but was not called upon by manager Luis Enrique. Even though PSG had already secured the championship, Lee Kang-in did not get an opportunity.
The tactics pursued by manager Enrique do not suit Lee Kang-in well. Excluding Lee Kang-in from the final match was essentially a message that he is out of contention. The fact that the manager of Crystal Palace directly reached out to Lee Kang-in is significant.
Ultimately, Lee Kang-in has become likely to transfer. Premier League teams are hard at work to acquire Lee Kang-in. Among them, the most proactive team is FA Cup champion Crystal Palace.
'London World' reported on the 24th that 'Crystal Palace has begun to accelerate efforts to acquire PSG midfielder Lee Kang-in. Having won the FA Cup, Palace plans to strengthen their squad by acquiring Lee Kang-in this summer. The fact that Palace secured a spot in the Europa League for the next season due to their FA Cup victory is expected to work in their favor.'
Arsenal, the rival team of Son Heung-min's Tottenham, is also targeting Lee Kang-in. Lee Kang-in has been linked with a move to Arsenal since the middle of the season. If Lee Kang-in joins Arsenal, he would become the second Korean player after Park Ji-sung.
ESPN reported that 'PSG forward Lee Kang-in is being connected with Arsenal. The 24-year-old Lee has advanced to the Champions League final. His market value is €20 million (about 31.7 billion won).'
[OSEN]