Can Lee Kang-in be coached by coach Unai Emery?
England’s ‘HITC’ said on the 20th (Korean time), 메이저놀이터“Coach Emery is a big fan of Lee Kang-in. Now, Aston Villa is planning to pay a buyout of 18 million euros (about 26.3 billion won) to sign him. Manager Emery has raised many Aston Villa players to a new level, and Lee Kang-in could be the next big thing.”
Lee Kang-in joined Mallorca ahead of last season. Growing up at the Valencia youth academy, he decided to take on a new challenge when he didn’t get many opportunities contrary to his expectations. In his first season with Mallorca, he had a period of adaptation, going back and forth between starting and replacing. And he has emerged as a key resource in Javier’s managerial system this season.
He has made 28 appearances in Spanish La Liga to date. He played 26 games as a starter, tallying 3 goals and 4 assists. He plays an important role in the development of the offense and is dedicated to the set-piece kicker. He is also shown to be actively involved in defense and is developing into a versatile midfielder.
As Lee Kang-in proved his value, transfer rumors arose. During the January transfer window, he was linked with several clubs, including Atlético Madrid. It is known that Lee Kang-in also wanted to transfer. But for Mallorca, he couldn’t let go of a key player during the season. In the end, he became a transfer that never happened.
However, there is a possibility that he will leave this summer. Currently, English Premier League (EPL) teams are being discussed. Newcastle United, Brighton and Fulham have already been mentioned as possible destinations, while Aston Villa have recently emerged. In particular, Aston Villa seems willing to trigger Lee Kang-in’s buyout of 18 million euros.
Aston Villa are currently in 6th place in the league this season. If you maintain your current ranking, you can go to European competitions such as the Europa League and Europa Conference League. Also, the difference between Newcastle and Newcastle in 4th place is only 6 points. Depending on the situation, they can even advance to the Champions League.
The presence of director Emery is also great. Coach Emery has experience leading big teams such as Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Arsenal, and Villarreal. In particular, he has won the Europa League four times. Among the players he coached, there are players with good kicking power such as Ever Banega, Dani Parejo, and Juan Mata, so Lee Kang-in can also play an important role.