It seems that Lee Kang-in’s buyout is dependent on his performance.

“From what we understand, Lee’s buyout clause was 17 million euros ($23.6 billion) last summer, but it has now risen to 25 million euros ($34.8 billion). His release clause is dependent on his performance,” Spain’s Marca reported on Sept. 9 (KST).먹튀검증

Lee is a product of Valencia’s youth academy. In 2018, he became the youngest foreign debutant in the club’s history at the age of 17 years, 8 months, and 11 days. There was a lot of excitement about the new prospect. However, he has since fallen short. First and foremost, Valencia didn’t give him enough playing time.

Eventually, he decided to look for a new challenge. He joined Mallorca ahead of last season, where he started and came off the bench, gaining experience and becoming a key player this season. By the end of the season, he had played 36 games in Spanish La Liga, scoring six goals and providing six assists to reach double-digit attacking points.

His stellar performance has boosted his market value. According to soccer statistics website Transfermarkt, Lee’s price tag was €6 million when he first joined Mallorca. It has since doubled to €12 million (approx. KRW 16.8 billion), and has risen once more during the season, bringing his current market value to €15 million (approx. KRW 21 billion).

Transfer speculation has also emerged. In January, Atletico Madrid were strongly linked. However, the talks never got to the point of actual negotiations due to Mallorca”s opposition. Since then, teams like Aston Villa and Newcastle United in the English Premier League (EPL) have expressed interest in the player.

At the moment, Atletico seems to be the most likely destination. Initially, it was reported that Atletico were reluctant to pay Lee’s buyout clause due to their tight financial situation. However, Atletico have begun to consider a partial trade, where they would lower the cash and add a player to the deal in order to land Lee.

In this regard, Spain’s OK Diario reported, “Atletico have sent their first official offer for Lee to Mallorca. Atletico’s first offer includes money and players.” The offer is reportedly €15 million in cash and includes Rodrigo Riquelme (on loan at Girona this season).

According to Marca, Lee’s buyout clause was €17 million before the start of the season, but it has since risen to €25 million due to his outstanding performances. Because of this, it seems that Atletico wanted to lower the amount they would actually have to pay through a ‘cash plus player’ deal.