Replacing Griezmann's 210 Goals and No. 7... Lee Kang-in Jerseys Sell Out at Korean Store Before His Debut

"You'll start seeing a lot of red-and-white striped jerseys on the streets." That is what Spanish player Osmar Ibanez said in an interview with Spanish outlet AS. But that forecast was already a step behind. Two days before Lee's transfer was officially announced, Atletico's 2026-27 home jersey was already sold out at Nike's Korean online store.

Lee Kang-in Jersey Sells Out Two Days Before the Official Announcement

Spanish outlet Esto es Atleti reported that the Atletico home jersey sold out at Nike's Korean online store on July 23. The club's official announcement came two days later, on July 25. The contract runs through June 30, 2031, and his squad number is 7. In its announcement, the club introduced him as "Atletico's new No. 7."

This is where the debate splits. Claims have circulated that Lee Kang-in's jersey is the club's best seller and overwhelmed Alvarez's, but neither Atletico nor Nike has ever disclosed sales figures. What is confirmed is the sellout; what is unconfirmed is the ranking. The Nike Store's South Korea home Lee Kang-in match jersey is $215 (as of 2026.07.27).

Lee Kang-in's Market Value of 28 Million Euros, No. 1 Among Korean Players

In Transfermarkt's tally (as of 2026.06.01), Lee Kang-in is valued at 28 million euros, the highest among Korean players. Born February 19, 2001 in Incheon, he is 25 years old. He debuted at Valencia in 2018 at age 17, passed through Mallorca, and won the Champions League twice at PSG, recording 124 appearances, 16 goals and 16 assists.

Rank	Player	Market value (euros)	Position
1	Lee Kang-in	28 million	Attacking midfielder
2	Kim Min-jae	20 million	Center back
3	Son Heung-min	15 million	Left winger
4	Oh Hyeon-gyu	15 million	Center forward
5	Jens Castrop	10 million	Central midfielder

In the same tally, Alvarez (26) is No. 1 at Atletico at 100 million euros (as of 2026.06.05). Dividing 100 million by 28 million gives roughly 3.6 times. Going by valuation alone, the two players are not on the same line. This gap is also why the claim that "the jersey surpassed Alvarez's" became a talking point.

Lee Kang-in's Transfer Fee of 35 Million Euros, a Number That Differs by Outlet

The transfer fee does not converge on a single figure either. AS reported a fixed 35 million euros plus 5 million euros in variables, ge reported 35 million euros, and L'Equipe, citing AFP, reported about 40 million euros. Domestic reports put it at up to 40 million euros including options, but Atletico has not disclosed the amount.

The No. 7 that Lee received was worn by Antoine Griezmann (35), the club's all-time top scorer with 210 goals in 484 appearances. The salary figure of about $6.5 million is an estimate from an exclusive report by Sports Kyunghyang, and the jersey ranking will remain unconfirmed as long as the club and Nike stay silent. Only two numbers can be confirmed from official documents: No. 7, and June 30, 2031.

Related official sites

• Atlético de Madrid official website — lets you check the original announcement, squad number and contract term directly
• LaLiga Lee Kang-in player page — Lee Kang-in's official player page, run by LaLiga
• FIFA World Cup 2026 official page — has Group A match results and original match reports
• Korea Football Association Records Room — a records archive run by the Korea Football Association

Main image · Graphic=Whale SV · Portrait photo=Wikimedia Commons (Carlos Figueroa Rojas), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Светлана Бекетова), CC BY-SA 3.0

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