Valencia, hit so badly by the transfer market over the summer, could be in line to lose yet another starlet in Lee Kang-in according to Diario AS. The Korean has rejected a proposal from Valencia of a new contract and sees his future outside of Mestalla.
Kang-in’s contract runs until the summer of 2022, which leaves the Valencia board with a decision to make. Anil Murthy is in charge of negotiations and is said to liaise closely with owner Peter Lim. Valencia could sell the Korean in the January market to try and get a significant transfer fee for his services – they’re still stung by selling homegrown talent Ferran Torres for just €23m last summer after not keeping a tight hold on his contract situation.
Kang-in, with his value in the Asian market as well as his footballing ability an attractive factor for potential suitors, already has several clubs knocking on his door, with many trying to convince him to run out his deal with Valencia and sign for them as a free agent. That, however, isn’t the intention of Kang-in – he values his time at Valencia and wants an exit that suits all parties.
Valencia, according to club sources, made a generous financial offer to Kang-in after learning from their experience with Torres but was unable to convince him to stay, so they in turn have made it a policy that players with contracts running down need to be sold and monetised before their value depreciates, especially given the club’s need to move significantly in the January transfer window.
Featured image courtesy of Transfermarkt.
