Mallorca forward Kang-In Lee has asked to leave the club, with Brighton & Hove Albion believed to be among his admirers.
That’s according to COPE, who say no offers have been made for the forward as yet but Brighton were one of the ‘interested parties’ in recent months.
They explain that it currently remains to be seen if Lee is throwing a ‘tantrum’ or he has reached a ‘point of no return’ after he ‘asked for his departure’ and removed any reference to Mallorca from his social media profiles.
The player has asked the club to listen to any offers for him but so far Mallorca have insisted they have no offers on the table and cannot facilitate a departure given they are currently three points outside the top six and he is a key player.
It is an ‘unexpected situation’ that threatens to disturb the peace in the team and at the club and something that needs fixing before the end of the window.
However, Mallorca deny anything ‘major’ has ever arrived. They have never received a ‘concrete offer’ for their man and that remains the case. If it does, they will ask that his €20m release clause be paid.
The situation may have changed now that the player has ‘asked for his exit’, with the player’s agent also taking it upon himself to ‘stir up the hornet’s nest’ to see if anyone will take the bait.
The hope had been that the player could reduce his value by asking to depart, and thus potentially lure the likes of Brighton into a bid, particularly as they have just sold Leandro Trossard to Arsenal.
Mallorca, though, are playing hardball and will continue to refer to his clause in any potential negotiations. They ‘recognise’ the interest from Brighton ‘some time ago’ but insist it has not materialised in this market.
In other words, the Seagulls were interested in the past and the club are aware of it but it hasn’t turned into anything concrete.
Lee’s agents are hoping that will change before the end of the window, with them ‘hell bent’ on getting their client out of Mallorca.
