Naples Turns to Lee Kang-in: Looking for the Next Kim Min-jae

[OSEN=고성환 기자] Naples is looking for the ‘second Kim Min-jae (27)’. This time, he is aiming for ‘Golden Boy’ Lee Kang-in (22, Mallorca).

Italy’s ‘Calcio Mercato’ reported on the 11th (Korean time) that Lee Kang-in was on the recruitment list, saying, “Napoli is observing the Asian market.”

Napoli hit the jackpot with the recruitment of Kim Min-jae this season. As soon as he joined the team, he developed into one of the best defenders in Europe and is performing at the best level in Serie A. It is hard to believe that he is a player who was recruited for only 18 million euros (approximately 26.2 billion won).

Napoli won the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years. This is the third Scudetto in his career following the 1986-1987 and 1989-1990 seasons when Diego Maradona played. The European Football Federation Champions League advance to the quarterfinals, achieved with Kim Min-jae, is also the first record in club history.

Naples, which has benefited greatly from Kim Min-jae, is developing interest in the Asian market. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis publicly hinted after the match against Fiorentina, saying, “We are looking for players from Japan, Korea and the United States.”

According to Calcio Mercato, the Korean player Napoli captured was Lee Kang-in. The media said, “Napoli scouts are ready to bring another Korean player to Italy after Kim Min-jae. It is Lee Kang-in, a popular star born in 2001.”

The media then added, “Lee Kang-in is an aggressive winger who is doing well in Mallorca. Napoli does not stop with this win and is looking at Asia to become stronger.”

Lee Kang-in is receiving many love calls while playing as the Mallorca ace this season. He scored 6 goals and 4 assists in the league alone and was nominated for the La Liga Team of the season. Transfer this summer is a matter of time.

Napoli has a lot of competitors. Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Burnley are already targeting him. In particular, Atlético, a strong player in La Liga, strongly wants him as they tried to sign Lee Kang-in last winter. Lee Kang-in’s ransom is expected to rise further as he jumps into Naples.

Meanwhile, Napoli is not only keeping an eye on Lee Kang-in, but also Japan national team midfielder Gamada Daichi (Frankfurt). Already a month ago, Frankfurt side announced that Gamada would leave the team on a free contract in June. Calcio Mercato explained: “Napoli are negotiating with Gamada with confidence. Discussions between the two sides are moving fast.”

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[저작권자 @머니투데이, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]