Premiership strugglers Fulham are hoping to sign Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i’s South Korea international Lee Chun-Soo on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent transfer, according to reports in Korea.
The English club have contacted the K-League side regarding a potential 12-month contract for the 25-year-old midfielder, which would start on July 1.
Lee was on the verge of joining Fulham’s Premiership rivals Wigan Athletic in January but publicly blamed Ulsan after the deal fell through.
Reports in Korea, quoting Ulsan vice-president Kim Hyung-ryong, say that Fulham want to loan Lee for a year with the possibility of a more permanent arrangement down the line.
Lee, who has made 70 international appearances, was part of the Korea side who reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup and also scored his country’s first goal in the 2006 World Cup in Germany with a trademark free-kick during the 2-1 win against Togo.
Following his exploits at the World Cup in 2002, Lee left Ulsan and joined Real Sociedad, becoming the first Korean player to play in Spain’s Primera Liga.
But he was sent on loan to Numancia following an unsuccessful season at the Estadio Anoeta before returning to Ulsan in 2005 and helping the Tigers win the league championship.
Lee scored a hat-trick in the first leg of the league finals and was subsequently named the K-League’s Most Valuable Player, despite only joining Ulsan midway through the campaign.
