Newcastle United looking into Lee Han-Beom after excellent World Cup performance
South Korean defender has just one-year left on current Midtjylland deal
How Lee could be the perfect centre-back addition for the current Newcastle squad
The FIFA World Cup is one of football’s prime venues for elevating stars and placing those otherwise uncovered in the spotlight.
We may only be a few days in to the tournament, but that has already been the case in America, and perhaps no one has been more exemplary of exactly that than South Korean defender Lee Han-Beom.
Han-Beom has been linked with some big clubs across Europe, including growing interest from Newcastle United according to TEAMtalk, with the 23-year-old showing his talent for Midtjylland over in Denmark.
Once again against Czechia, Lee turned heads with an exceptional display, reminding each of those clubs exactly why he is one of the most exciting defensive talents in world football.
Lee Han-Beom to Newcastle United?
The centre-back position isn’t one at the top of Newcastle’s priority list this summer, but it is one that needs addressing in the near future, with some ageing squad members like Fabian Schär and Dan Burn.
But Lee’s current situation may mark one too good to pass up on, especially in the wake of the quality he has already shown in the World Cup.
Lee managed some mightily impressive stats alongside passing the eye test in South Korea’s 2-1 comeback win over the Czech Republic. He was an absolute titan in his duels across the 90 minutes and was a very integral part of his country’s early build-up phase.
StatNumbers – Lee vs CzechiaPasses53/63 (84%)Touches80Interceptions 6Recoveries2Duels won11
The South Korean has just one year left on his contract, meaning he could be available at a bargain price this summer or even for free next summer if a club can convince him to run down his current deal.
Now, of course, his stock has already drastically risen at the tournament, and there will be a lot of clubs licking their lips at the prospect of that exact scenario playing out in their favour. But he could actually be a very good fit for the Magpies, possibly more so than some of the other clubs who will be interested.
Why Lee Han-Beom could fit on Tyneside
Lee is exactly the sort of centre-back that Eddie Howe has a soft spot for.
He has an exceptionally commanding physical presence and is an absolute menace in the air. That doesn’t take from his technical ability, though, and his ball-playing tendency adheres him to both sides of the Premier League game.
Lee would be coming into a defensive unit that has been plagued with injury problems over the past few seasons.
Malick Thiaw had to play almost every minute last season following his move from AC Milan, mainly due to Schar’s bad ankle injury and Sven Botman only ever being one short sprint away from his body breaking down.
That would mean Lee would be well placed to get some semi-regular first-team minutes while he learns the culture and system, which could be more endearing than sitting on the bench elsewhere.
Newcastle also have a fellow countryman already at the club in Park Seung-Soo, who is expected to see more first-team involvement next year. The allure of that in bringing players to a football club can’t be underestimated, and it could be a big bargaining chip for the Magpies should they pursue a deal.
Whether the club will end up acting upon their interest in bringing Lee to the club is a question currently unanswered, given the long list of priorities this summer, but if Lee Han-Beom keeps putting in the sort of performance he did in the first group stage game, it surely can’t be long before every club in the world is throwing offers at him to try and secure his signature.
When that scenario inevitably arises, Newcastle United must be one of them.