Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) is still Napoli's No. 1 pick.

Italy's La Repubblica reported on the 7th (Korea time) that 'the signing of Kevin De Bruyne by Napoli is just the beginning. They are planning reinforcements across all positions.' It noted, 'Defenders, midfielders, and forwards are all being mentioned. Among those, Napoli prefers Lee Kang-in for midfield reinforcement.'

Currently, PSG has set Lee Kang-in's transfer fee at 40 million euros (62.1 billion won). This amount is nearly double the 22 million euros (34.2 billion won) paid two years ago when they acquired Lee Kang-in from Mallorca. Considering that the highest transfer fee Napoli used for acquisition in the 2024-2025 season was 35 million euros (54.3 billion won), the conditions proposed by PSG are quite high.

PSG believes it does not need to rush to part with Lee Kang-in, who has three years remaining on his contract. Although he is not a regular starter, PSG sees no reason to incur losses by letting Lee Kang-in go. Manager Luis Enrique experimented with Lee Kang-in in various positions until the middle of the season. He utilized him as a winger, central midfielder, and even as a false nine, but there was no clear establishment as a regular.

At the beginning of the season, there seemed to be potential, but his playing time drastically decreased from the mid to late season. After the Ligue 1 championship was secured, Lee Kang-in only featured in the full-time match against Montpellier, and he did not play in any key matches such as the Coupe de France final or UEFA Champions League (UCL) final.

Lee Kang-in was included in the UCL final roster but ultimately did not get an opportunity to play. Having remained on the bench for most of the big matches at the end of the season, he was essentially categorized as 'out of contention.' In a situation where playing time is uncertain, a new team for Lee Kang-in has become more of a necessity than a choice.

In this context, a strong next destination for Lee Kang-in is continuously being discussed as Napoli in Italy. Kim Min-jae (currently Bayern Munich) played a key role in leading the league to victory, and Napoli had considered Lee Kang-in as a player exchange option during the transfer negotiations for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The club has highly evaluated Lee Kang-in for his technical completeness and experience in European competitions.

However, again, the transfer fee issue becomes a stumbling block. The prevailing evaluation is that PSG is not accepting a realistic limit that Napoli would be willing to move within. Lee Kang-in's transfer is a problem that cannot be solved simply by hopes of a transfer. The 40 million euros set by PSG represents a realistic constraint and simultaneously acts as 'the highest wall' for Lee Kang-in's career reorganization.

Still, Napoli strongly hopes to acquire Lee Kang-in. Rather than turning to other players, the current preparation of Napoli is to somehow acquire Lee Kang-in. La Repubblica emphasized, 'For midfield reinforcement, Napoli intends to bring in an additional 1-2 players besides De Bruyne. Among those, for midfield reinforcement, they strongly want Lee Kang-in. Milan's Pratese is the second option, but Napoli's most desired player is Lee Kang-in.'

This is because Napoli has consistently been keeping an eye on Lee Kang-in. In fact, when PSG wanted their players Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli demanded that any trade include Lee Kang-in. However, PSG continued to refuse, resulting in the loss of Lee Kang-in's acquisition.

In reality, Napoli hopes to show significant performance in the UCL, starting from winning the Serie A title last season. To do this, they have consistently wanted Lee Kang-in, showing an interest that is different from other players. It remains to be seen whether this interest will lead to Lee Kang-in's transfer.

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