Valencia Club de Fútbol will receive €1.4 million from Kang In Lee's transfer to Atlético de Madrid via FIFA's solidarity mechanism. The payment highlights the club's long-term investment in youth development, even as critics question past decisions.
What happened with Kang In Lee's transfer?
Atlético de Madrid have completed the signing of Kang In Lee from PSG, a move that triggers solidarity payments to his former youth clubs. According to Superdeporte, Valencia CF -where Lee trained from age ten to twenty- will receive 3.5% of the total fee, while Mallorca, his previous club, gets 1.5%. The South Korean winger arrives at Atlético as one of their marquee signings for the new season.
Lee joined Valencia CF's academy at ten and quickly became a standout in the youth ranks. He progressed through the system until age twenty, when the club's then-board allowed him to leave for free to Mallorca in summer 2021. The move aimed to free up a non-EU roster spot and fund the €8.5 million signing of Marcos André. Five years later, Lee returns to Spanish football with a far higher market value and a Champions League semi-finalist pedigree.
Why does this payment matter for Valencia CF?
The €1.4 million windfall arrives as Valencia CF prepares for a new LaLiga campaign. Last season, the club finished ninth with 49 points, 45 behind Barcelona, scoring 46 goals while conceding 55. The solidarity payment, though significant, does little to ease fan frustration over Lee's free departure years ago.
FIFA's solidarity mechanism compensates clubs that developed players between ages twelve and twenty-three. Valencia CF trained Lee from ten to twenty, qualifying them for 3.5% of the fee. The funds add to income from other academy graduates like Hugo Guillamón and Carles Gil, helping balance the club's books.
What's next for Valencia CF?
Mestalla faces a transfer window focused on improving LaLiga form and, ideally, re-entering European contention. The Lee-related funds arrive amid budgetary constraints, but they don't erase past decisions about youth departures.
Meanwhile, Atlético de Madrid add Lee to a squad aiming to reclaim the league title after a mixed 2025/26 season. The South Korean joins a team that finished fifth, just three points off fourth, and seeks stronger trophy challenges. Lee brings Ligue 1 experience and PSG pedigree to a side that needs proven attacking options.
Back in Valencia, the club continues building around defenders like Mouctar Diakhaby and Toni Lato. Last term ended with a -9 goal difference and a recent form run of WWDWL, signaling the inconsistency the team must address in the coming months.
