According to the French press, the best-selling jersey at PSG in recent times doesn’t belong to Kylian Mbappe but to an Asian star.
The 22-year-old midfielder, Lee Kang-in, is currently the player with the highest jersey sales at PSG, not Mbappe – one of the most famous football stars in the world. The specific numbers are not mentioned.
The South Korean player recently arrived at PSG from Mallorca in the summer of 2023 for 22 million euros. Up to this point, Kang-in has made three appearances for PSG but hasn’t scored any goals or provided assists.
It’s understandable that Kang-in’s jersey is in demand because his presence in Paris has drawn special attention from Asian fans, especially those from his home country, South Korea. Meanwhile, the appeal of Mbappe, in particular, and PSG, in general, has significantly decreased since the departure of two South American stars, Lionel Messi and Neymar, in the summer of 2023.
According to L’Equipe, PSG’s Instagram followers increased by 20 million during Messi’s two-year stint in Paris. However, when the Argentine superstar left, the number of followers on the social media platform for the Ligue 1 champions dropped by a staggering 10 million to just 15 million – a tremendous decline.
Furthermore, a PSG sponsor is now questioning the partnership between both sides after the departures of Messi and Neymar. Some other partners have delayed their sponsorships for the club. PSG’s ticket sales have also been lackluster, or simply put, and nobody seems interested.
Tickets for the PSG vs. Strasbourg match in Ligue 1 on October 21 have been on sale for three weeks, yet remain unsold. This shows the significant impact of losing both Messi and Neymar on PSG.
