Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League • England
Tottenham ‘in the lead’ to sign Son Heung-min ally after earning advantage over Atletico Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur have the advantage in the battle to sign South Korean attacking midfielder Kang-in Lee, according to reports.
Lee currently plays for Mallorca in La Liga and his performances in Spain have caught the attention of Atletico Madrid, Mundo Deportivo claims. However, Tottenham are ‘in the lead’ to lure Lee elsewhere.
That’s because they would not have to rely on player sales first before being able to afford Lee, whereas Atletico would. The 22-year-old’s release clause currently stands at €30million (£26.5m).
Mallorca will be willing to listen to lower offers for Lee, even though he is still under contract until 2025. They could even listen to part-exchange deals whereby they could take players from Lee’s buyers in return.
It remains to be seen whether Tottenham could send any of their existing players to Mallorca, or if they would rather make a bid of pure cash.
As for Atletico, talks with Mallorca have already been held around their 3-1 win against Lee’s current side on Wednesday. The Asian star came on as a substitute in the second half for Mallorca and Atletico liked what they saw in his cameo.
In turn, Diego Simeone’s side are aiming to offload players like Saul Niguez, Thomas Lemar and Chelsea loanee Joao Felix to make room for Lee in their own squad.
Not only does Lee appeal to them because of his technical quality, but Atletico also believe signing him could help them break new ground commercially.
Yet as mentioned, Tottenham are the ‘main rival’ to sign Son Heung-min’s international teammate.
Tottenham in transfer tussle for Kang-in Lee
There could be other Premier League clubs in the race to acquire Lee. However, the report does not specify who those might be.
This season, Lee has played 33 times in all competitions. He has mainly played on the left wing, but has also featured on the right, or through the middle.
From his 30 La Liga appearances, the former Valencia prospect has scored five goals and assisted the same amount.
His overall record in Mallorca colours includes 67 appearances, six goals and eight assists. Needless to say, this has been the best season so far of his blossoming career.
The next step for Lee could be to test himself in the Premier League. Although there is currently uncertainty about who will manage Tottenham next season, the opportunity to link up with Son might make them an appealing destination for Lee still.
Spurs currently have Arnaut Danjuma on loan from another La Liga side in the shape of Villarreal. If he fails to make that move permanent, then perhaps Lee could step into that space in the squad.
In that event, he would become the first player ever to join Tottenham from Mallorca.
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