Former Ulsan HD FullBack Lee Mun -ja to sign with Birmingham: Report – Korea Joongang Daily

Ulsan HD FullBack Lee Myung-Jae, to the right, in action during the AFC 2023-24 Champions League quarterfinals against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulusan on March 12, 2024. [NEWS1]

Former Ulsan HD Fullback Lee Myung-Jae will join Countryman Paik Seung-Ho in Birmingham City.

The Korean newspaper Sports Chosun announced on Saturday that the 31 -year -old Lee is close to finalizing a deal with the club in League 1.

The European Winter Transfer Window will close on Monday, but Birmingham can sign Lee after closing the window, as free agents can sign with a team at any time.

Lee became a free agent at the end of the 2024 K League 1 season after winning the league title with Ulsan.

The veteran full defender made his professional debut with the club in 2014. In addition to a half -season loan spell in the Japanese Albirex Niigata team in 2014 and one and a half years with the Gimcheon Sangmu Military Club, where players completed their mandatory mandatory 2020 military service By 2021, he had spent his entire career with the management champions of K League.

Known for his speed and accurate crosses, Lee played as a regular choice during the Ulsan History League title from 2022 to 2024. His remarkable performance in recent seasons allowed him to win his first senior hat in the World Cup qualifier against Thailand last last March. Since then, he has been a regular starter for the national team with seven hats under his belt.

His relocation to Birmingham would bring the number of Korean players to men and women’s teams to five. The women’s team is home to a regular national team of Korean women’s team Cho So-Hyun, Choe Yu-Ri and Lee Geum-Min.

The transfer will also make Lee the second Korean player in the Third League this season after Pike.

Pike faced the fall in League 1 last season with Birmingham, but the club was on the way this season, sitting at four points clearly at the top of the league table from the press on Sunday.

By Pike Gi-Hwan [[email protected])