By Kim Jae-won
Staff Reporter
South Korean national team member Lee Keun-ho may soon be on his way to Europe after the Iwata Jubilo striker received an offer from French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Saturday, Lee's agency Tenplus Sports confirmed on Monday.
``We received an official document from Saint-Germain, Saturday. We sent the document to Iwata. We will discuss the move this week,'' the agency company manager Kim Dong-ho told The Korea Times, Monday. An Iwata representative will meet with Lee's agency this week.
The 24-year-old joined the Japanese club in April after two seasons with Daegu FC, signing a nine-month deal that runs until the end of the year. Financial terms were not released, but Japanese newspaper Sports Nippon reported that Lee's salary is worth 24 million yen (340 million won). Lee has six goals and four assists in six appearances this season.
It appears the only thing standing in Lee's way is an agreement between Iwata and PSG on a transfer fee.
``Iwata wants to keep Lee Keun-ho. The transfer fee will be discussed,'' Kim said.
PSG initially showed interest in March and offered Lee a trial. The club was interested in locking him up at the time but the deadline for international player signings had passed.
``We will sign in early July if negotiations with Iwata go well,'' Lee Dong-yeop said.
``I am surprised that they sent the offer. I am glad that they are interested in me,'' Lee Keun-ho said. Lee had expressed his desire to play in Europe after becoming a free agent last December.
Paris-based PSG has played in Ligue 1, the first division of French professional football, since 1974 and ranked sixth among 20 clubs last season.
Lee's South Korean national squad teammate Park Chu-young plays in Ligue 1 for AS Monaco since he moved from FC Seoul last July. Park signed a four-year contract with the Mediterranean city-state club worth 400,000 euros (700 million won or $560,000) per year.
``PSG wants to sign him for three to four years. The salary is similar to Park Chu-young or maybe a little bit more than that,'' Lee Dong-yeop said.
Park would become the seventh Korean ever to play in France. Gangwon FC manager Choi Soon-ho joined second-league club Rodez AF in 1992 and under-20 national team technical officer and former national team striker Seo Jung-won played for RC Strasbourg in the 1997-98 season. MBC ESPN broadcaster Lee Sang-yoon and former national team striker Ahn Jung-hwan also played briefly in France, and 17-year-old Hyundai High School graduate Nam Tae-hee made a deal with Valenciennes FC last month.
Lee debuted in the K-League with Incheon United in 2005 and played with Daegu from 2007 to 2008. Lee scored 11 goals and registered six assists for Daegu in 26 appearances in the 2008 season. Lee was fifth overall, first among domestic players, in goals last season.