Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly battling with Arsenal and Chelsea over a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Lee Kang-in, as per TEAMtalk.
Since moving to Parc des Princes from La Liga side Mallorca in 2023, the 25-year-old has enjoyed great success, winning two Ligue 1 titles, a Champions League trophy, and numerous other major cup competitions.
However, he has struggled to break into Luis Enrique’s starting line-up, starting only 13 matches in the Champions League and Ligue 1 combined this season.
Now, TEAMtalk claim that with the South Korean’s existing deal set to run until 2028, Les Parisiens are planning to tie him to a fresh term. However, he isn’t in any rush to sign an extension yet and is weighing up other options before making the final decision.
Tottenham made a ‘serious attempt’ to sign him in January and are still interested in him. However, they have surprisingly found themselves in a relegation scrap and need to stay in the top-flight to sign top-class players like Lee.
On the other hand, Arsenal and Chelsea hold a long-standing interest in Lee and have been monitoring his situation closely before making a potential summer swoop.
Moreover, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are in this race, so he isn’t short of potential suitors at the moment. Still, PSG are hopeful of tying him down to a fresh deal.
Battle
Lee is a left-footed creative midfielder by trait, but is also efficient on the right flank. Furthermore, he can play in the box-to-box role, and Enrique has used him in the false nine position as well.
With James Maddison out injured since the start of this season and Xavi Simons failing to find his feet in the Premier League, Tottenham could do with signing a new No.10.
On the other hand, Martin Odegaard has struggled to showcase his best this season, with persistent fitness problems being one of the main reasons. So, Mikel Arteta is seemingly planning to refresh the CAM position.
Cole Palmer, meanwhile, has established himself as a talismanic figure for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City. However, he has had fitness issues this season; as a result, he hasn’t been at his best.
Lee, valued at around £22m by Transfermarkt, is a talented player and is currently at the prime stage of his career. So, he would be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal, Tottenham, or Chelsea should any of those clubs eventually manage to secure his service.
