Korea to Call Up Teenage Prospect for Friendlies

Valencia CF's South Korean prospect Lee Kang-in may get a senior national team call-up for friendly matches later this month as paperwork is under way for the selection, an official with the national football governing body said Wednesday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) recently sent a letter to Valencia to notify that it may select Lee for the upcoming friendly matches at home and asked for the Spanish club's cooperation if the player gets the nod, according to the official.

South Korea are scheduled to take on Bolivia in Ulsan on March 22 and will host Colombia in Seoul on March 26.

South Korea head coach Paulo Bento is scheduled to announce his roster for the March friendlies Monday.

Although the Portuguese has yet to confirm his roster, the KFA's recent move shows it is preparing for a possible call-up of the 18-year-old midfielder

Bento last month visited Spain to check out South Korean starlets like Lee and Paik Seung-ho of Girona FC.

Lee made his first-team debut with Valencia in October 2018, though he has been struggling to get playing time in recent matches.

Lee has yet to play for South Korea at the senior level. He has four goals in seven matches for the under-20 side.

If Bento decides not to include Lee for March friendlies, there's a possibility that the player will join the U-20 team for training ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

South Korea's U-20 football coach Chung Jung-young...