“I hope to see Lee Kang-in again.”
That was the fervent wish of Jose Copete, 24, a key center back for Mallorca in Spain. Kopete hopes golden boy Lee Kang-in, 22, will stay at the club.
Spain’s Marca published an interview with Kopete on Tuesday (June 10). “I have a very good relationship with Lee Kang-in,” Kopete said, “I wish him luck and I hope he stays. I wish him the best of luck and hope he enjoys this vacation. And I hope to see him again. We’ll see what happens with him.” In recent days, Lee has been strongly linked with Atletico Madrid (Spain), Aston Villa, Wolverhampton, and Tottenham Hotspur, among others. Teammate Kopete has also expressed his personal desire for Lee to stay and play with the team.
This season, Lee and Kopete have been a key part of the team’s defense. In 36 league appearances, Lee has scored six goals and provided six assists. He is tied for second on the team in goals and first in assists. According to European soccer statistician Fúscore.com, Lee has a season rating of 7.09. He also averaged 2.5 dribble breaks per game, ranking third in the league in that category. His total number of dribble breaks was a whopping 90. The only player with more dribble breaks than Lee is the ‘World Class’ Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid – 112). Kopete has also been a solid defender in 28 league appearances. He has a rating of 6.74 according to Hoopscore.com.
Both Lee and Kopete were part of the team’s victory in the final game of the season. Mallorca won 3-0 at home against Rayo Vallecano in the final 38th round of the league on May 5. Lee provided the assist and Kopete scored the goal. In the 26th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in sent in a precise delivery from a corner kick, which Kopete converted into a powerful header. Lee and Kopete embraced each other in a heated goal celebration. The goal helped Mallorca finish ninth in the league (50 points) despite not having the best team, thanks to the performances of Lee, Bedat Murki, and others. “It was a very good season for me personally, but even better as a team,” said Kopete.
The two have an inspiring growth story in common. Lee pulled on the Mallorca jersey in 2021 and Kopete last year. However, Lee struggled for playing time in his first season with the club. Kopete was not a household name, having played mostly in the lower leagues. However, both Lee and Kopete have defied expectations and have been key members of Mallorca’s squad this season.메이저놀이터
Interestingly, Jaume Costa, another Mallorca teammate, also mentioned Lee. “It’s no secret that there are a lot of teams that want Lee,” Costa said, according to Spain’s Cadenacer. He had the chance to leave in December last year, but he didn’t. If it was any other player, I would have been angry and said I didn’t want to play,” Costa said, praising Lee’s professionalism. In fact, Lee received many offers in the transfer market last winter. Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion reportedly made a £10 million (approx. KRW 160 million) bid for him in January. Atletico were also interested. However, he faced opposition from Mallorca and stayed put. Despite numerous transfer rumors, Lee remained undeterred and put in a stellar performance to keep his team in the competition.
Costa, a Spaniard, has played primarily as a left fullback this season. He often partnered with Lee on the left flank. In 32 league appearances, he has one assist.