By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
FC Seoul midfielder Lee Chung-yong is close to signing with English Premier League (EPL) club Bolton Wanderers.
The K-League team said Sunday that the 21-year-old footballer would fly to England Monday.
"We have decided to transfer Lee to Bolton, considering his promising future, even though the league season is in full swing," FC Seoul said.
As of Saturday, Seoul, headed by Turk Senol Gunes, was in second place in the league standings behind Jeonbuk Motors.
"Since Bolton and ourselves have reached an agreement in principle, we will start full-scale talks today."
The team will negotiate with Bolton the finer details of Lee's contract, and he is also likely to have a medical.
Reportedly, Lee's transfer fee is $3.5 million (4.4 billion won) and his side expects to sign a 4.5-billion-won, three-year deal.
If Lee joins Gary Megson's side, he will be the seventh South Korean export to the EPL following Park Ji-sung of Manchester United, Lee Young-pyo of Tottenham Hotspur, Seol Ki-hyeon of Fulham FC, Lee Dong-gook of Middlesbrough, Kim Do-heon of West Bromwich Albion and Cho Won-hee of Wigan Athletic.
However, curretly just three of them ― Park, Seol and Cho ― still play in the world's top league.
Three-time league champion Seoul, which has set its eyes on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League title as well as that of the K-League, has seen a number of its players ― such as Seo Jung-won, Choi Yong-soo, Lee Young-pyo, Kim Dong-jin and Park Chu-young ― move to international leagues.
The latest export was Park, who transferred to French side AS Monaco in September 2008.
The news on Lee's move came first last Tuesday after the Bolton News, a regional newspaper in England, reported the transfer, quoting Bolton Wanderers manager Gary Megson.
"We are really close to getting three transfers sorted, and we need them, because this squad is nowhere near strong enough," Megson told the newspaper.
"The News also said that the three players are FC Seoul winger Lee Chung-yong as well as Aston Villa defender Zat Knight and Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde.
The paper introduced Lee as "one of Asia's brightest prospects."
Lee entered the league with the Seoul-based club in 2004 and has scored 11 goals and set up 17 in 67 appearances.
Lee, who was capped in May 2008 at the South Africa World Cup qualifying, has found the target twice in 15 games on the international stage.
The Wanderers were founded in 1874 and have yet to win the league title.
They have won the FA Cup four times ― in 1923, 1926, 1929 and 1958.
Last season, they finished 13th with an 11-8-19 record.