Newcastle United supporters are loving life right now.
On Tuesday night, goals from Alexander Isak and then Anthony Gordon saw the Magpies beat Arsenal 2-0 in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, leaving the Toon Army on the brink of Wembley.
Overall, that’s now seven successive victories for Eddie Howe’s side in all competitions, claiming five straight wins in the Premier League, climbing from 12th up to fifth in the table.
So, currently on course for Champions League qualification and dreaming of a first major domestic trophy for 70 years, the mood on Tyneside could hardly be any better, but could Newcastle dip into the January transfer market to strengthen their squad further?
Newcastle looking at PSG star
According to a report by Italian outlet Tutto Mercato earlier this week, Newcastle United will attempt to “make a move” to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Lee Kang-in in the next few days after making enquiries regarding his availability.
The source states that Manchester United are also vying for the South Korean’s signature with a valuation of around £33m being floated around.
So, just who is Lee Kang-in?
How Lee Kang-in would improve Newcastle
A 23-year-old forward, he joined La Liga club Valencia as an 11-year-old, making his senior debut during a Copa del Rey match against Ebro in October 2018.
After 62 appearances for los Che, he moved to Mallorca on a Bosman in the summer of 2021, certainly catching the eye during his two seasons in the Balearic Islands because, in July 2023, Paris Saint-Germain came calling, paying €22m (£18m) for his signature.
Since joining the serial Ligue 1 champions, Lee has scored 11 goals in 60 outings for les Parisiens, most notably on target during a 3-0 Champions League victory over A.C. Milan last term.
In this campaign, he’s established himself as a key figure in Luis Enrique’s side, starting 14 of their 24 matches, racking up 1,366 minutes, while also cementing his place as one of the first names on the team sheet at international level, featuring in each of the Taegeuk Warriors’ last 22 competitive fixtures.
Korean journalist Joel Kim described his compatriot as “outstanding”, adding this is “only the beginning” of his stardom, but could Lee’s future lie in the North East?
Lee is a very versatile player, albeit he has been predominantly deployed on the right-wing, a position currently occupied by Jacob Murphy at Newcastle, so would the South Korean be an upgrade?
Appearances
60
47
Minutes
3,442
2,743
Goals
11
7
Assists
7
15
Progressive carries
107
70
Shots
75
61
Shots on target %
40%
29.5%
Goals – xG
+4.4
+1.5
Pass completion %
84.4%
68.2%
Shot-creating actions
174
95
Touches
2,572
1,242
As shown in the table, Lee has outperformed Murphy since the start of last season for almost every chosen metric, with assists the sole exception.
The Korean registered twice as many touches, emphasising that he’s significantly more involved in play, while his pass completion % was exponentially higher.
Lee also scored more goals, attempted more shots and registered more progressive carries, while his goals – xG figure is a very impressive (+4.4), sat third in Ligue 1 for this metric this campaign, while also 18th across Europe’s top five leagues, reiterating that he is an extremely clinical finisher.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Sam Tabuteau of Breaking The Lines calls Murphy one of the most hard-working players in the Premier League, a key figure in Newcastle’s recent run of wins, but if the Magpies want to go to the next level, they’ll require that extra bit of quality that Lee could certainly provide, forming a formidable front three alongside Isak and Gordon.
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ByAngus Sinclair Jan 8, 2025