Who is Kang-in Lee? the next Son Heung-min wanted by Newcastle

Stuart Telford

• 11 Nov 2022 15:09 CST
• 4 min read

Kang-in Lee is set to shine for South Korea at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, but what else is there to know about the pretender to Son Heung-min's throne being tracked by Newcastle and others?

Lee left his native South Korea for Valencia at the tender age of 10, his dad, a Taekwondo instructor from Incheon who idolised Diego Maradona, supporting the move.

After racing through their youth academy he made his first team debut in October 2018 in a 2-1 win over Ebro in the Copa Del Rey. At 17 years, eight months and two days of age, Lee became the youngest ever South Korean player in European football.

READ: Son Heung-Min to quit Spurs: The three clubs who want him

After three years in Valencia's first team - which included a Copa del Rey triumph in 2019 - Lee moved to Real Mallorca at the start of last season, where he has continued to impress, with his impressive dribbling in particular catching Newcastle's eye.

What position does Lee play in?

Lee is an attacking midfielder capable of lining up in any of the positions behind a central striker, but most often found through the middle or on the left, from where he has averaged three completed dribbles per game in La Liga over the last year.

How good is Lee?

Once regarded as one of the most promising players in the game, and predicted for greatness by the team that make Football Manager, it is easy to forget that Lee is still only 21.

READ: Kang-in Lee's Football Transfers overview

He won the Golden Ball as South Korea reached the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Polan in 2019, ahead of nine-goal top scorer Erling Haaland, and remains ahandful for opposition defences.

What clubs are interested in Lee?

A whole host of clubs have been linked with Lee in his short career so far. Mallorca beat Wolves to his signature when he left Valencia on a free last year, the youngster keen to stay in Spain.

Press reports at the time suggested Lee could end up anywhere from Monaco to Feyenoord, but it is Newcastle who have the most concrete interest of late, the Toon looking to replace the injured Allan Saint-Maximin's mesmerising play in the final third.

When does Lee's contract expire?

Lee's contract at the Visit Mallorca Stadium runs until 30 June 2025.

How old is Lee?

Born on 19 February 2001, Lee is 21-year-old at the time of writing.

What is Lee's Instagram?

Kang-in Lee's Instagram has 235K followers as of November 2022.