FC Midtjylland are prepared to part ways with Lee Han-beom this summer, and the 23-year-old South Korean defender has no shortage of suitors. Clubs across England and Germany have registered interest in the centre-back, whose stock has risen sharply since arriving in Denmark less than two years ago.

Lee joined Midtjylland from FC Seoul in August 2023 for roughly $1.5 million. His current market value sits at around €3 million, according to Transfermarkt. That’s a tidy return for a player the Danish Superliga club picked up as a relatively low-profile signing.

The World Cup effect

In England, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Leeds United, and Brighton have all reportedly been monitoring the defender. On the German side, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are among the interested parties. Napoli, Monaco, and Lyon have also been linked.

That’s a lot of names for a player who has made 43 appearances for Midtjylland, scoring once.

Contract math and Midtjylland’s calculus

Lee’s contract with Midtjylland runs until June 30, 2027. That means the club has one year of contractual leverage remaining after this summer. Sell now, and Midtjylland can command a fee that reflects Lee’s rising value and the competitive tension among multiple bidders. Wait another year, and the leverage shifts entirely to the player, who could negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in January 2027 and leave for nothing the following summer.

Born on June 17, 2002, Lee is still just 23. Centre-backs tend to hit their prime in their mid-to-late twenties, meaning any buying club would be getting several years of peak performance ahead.

The $1.5 million Midtjylland paid FC Seoul was a bargain by any reasonable standard. Even if the Danish club sells for something in the range of his current €3 million valuation, they’re looking at a comfortable profit. And given the number of clubs reportedly circling, competitive bidding could push the final fee higher.