Being praised as a "core" but sitting on the bench? Li Gangren s dilemma and silent value in Paris

Li Gangren has failed to score in 29 consecutive Ligue 1 games, but he is still a presence that cannot be ignored in Paris Saint-Germain.

In the last three games, he still hasn't scored a goal, but he continues to make a key impact on the court. Every time he appears on the court, the South Korean midfielder can always quietly change the rhythm of the game - this is the "Lee Gangin Paradox": the club keeps claiming that he is a "core player", but rarely gives him a chance to truly prove himself.

Assists are better than goals: the silent highlight of the 100th game

In the early morning of November 10th, in the 12th round of Ligue 1, Paris played away against Lyon. In the 95th minute of the game, Paris won a corner kick. Li Gangren took the penalty, and a precise curve ball pierced the night sky. Joao Neves jumped high and scored with a header, locking the score at 3-2.

The whole team cheered, but Li Gangren just smiled slightly. He didn't score, but he was the architect of the victory - and this assist happened to occur in his 100th game for Paris, which is of great significance.

This is no accident. As early as November 1, in the game against Nice, he took a corner kick and assisted Gonzalo Ramos to score the only goal of the game, helping the team win 1-0. Even in the 1-2 loss to Bayern in the Champions League, he was rated as the team's highest score (7.91 points) by the authoritative data website WhoScored. Given the opportunity, he always leaves a mark - quietly, but effectively.

Trust in words, alienation in action

The problem is: Paris' attitude towards Li Gangren has always been vague. They talk about trust, but the actual arrangements are completely opposite.

According to "Le Parisien", the club still counts Li Gangren among its "core player group", and coach Luis Enrique also said that it has "re-established confidence in him." They explained that reducing their playing time last season was "part of the growing process" - which sounds warm, but is actually difficult to convince the public.

In the summer of 2023, Li Gangren joined Paris from Mallorca with a release fee of 22 million euros. He is regarded as the flagship figure of the new generation of Asia landing in Europe. His performance was outstanding at first, but then he gradually faded out of the main lineup. Although he contributed 7 goals and 6 assists in Ligue 1 last season, he only played 19 minutes in the knockout stages of the Champions League. He himself once said frankly: "I feel like I am both in the team and an outsider."

The club once called him "mentally exhausted", and he looked heavy and lacked energy during training. But facts have proven time and again: as long as he is given a chance, he can respond to doubts with his performance.

His left-foot pass is delicate, precise and full of creativity; he can always appear in the most reasonable position, control the rhythm and activate his teammates - this ability is rare in the star-studded Paris lineup.

Forced to activate, still subject to restrictions

Now, Paris has no choice. Dembele was injured, Douai was absent for a long time, and Enrique had to re-activate Li Gangren. But so far, he has only started 6 times this season, ranking 12th in the team's playing time.

Faced with doubts, Enrique argued: "Competition is part of growth. Li Gangren is stronger under pressure."

However, France's RMC Sports directly refuted: "Using 'competition' as an excuse to limit appearances is not to cultivate players, but to cover up distrust."

What is even more intriguing is that when Li Gangren reported his intention to leave the team, Paris actually put a price tag of 50 million euros - this was obviously not a transfer offer, but a "retention threshold" set. "Le Parisien" hit the nail on the head: "Paris does not regard him as a rotation piece, but as a high-value asset."

Unfortunately, the evaluation criteria for this "asset" seem to be based more on commercial potential than on-field contribution.

Calm outside the court, waiting for recognition on the court

Off the court, Li Gangren is gradually integrating into Paris life. He settled in with his family and remained positive despite the departure of his friend Marco Asensio. He often talks and laughs with his teammates during training. But these smiles only really have meaning when you step onto the field - because on the football field, value depends on performance.

The victory against Lyon means many things to him. Playing for Paris for the 100th time is a huge achievement for an Asian player, especially in the Ligue 1 arena with different cultures and fierce competition.

What is even more admirable is the way he achieved this milestone: silently, patiently, and seizing every opportunity in the limited time. He never complained or put pressure, he just let football speak for him.

What he brings is the "sense of stability" that Paris lacks most.

Paris can talk about "long-term planning", "healthy competition" or "modern rotation", but football is not a speech after all. Results are the touchstone of trust - and Li Gangren's performance is already convincing enough.

He brings a rare balance to Paris: a combination of technology, intelligence and team awareness. He is not as quick as Dembele, nor as explosive as Douai, but he knows when to be slow, when to pass, and when to control the ball to stabilize the situation.

Because of this, whenever he appears on the court, Paris' offense and defense will become more stable. His handling of the ball may not trigger exclamations from the audience, but it always brings a sense of reassurance. He makes the superstars around him play more comfortably. In a team full of personalities, he is the indispensable "mute button".

Behind the paradox is the lack of trust.

Li ​​Gangren is in a contradiction: he is praised, but he is doubted; he is called the "X factor", but he is difficult to appear. This paradox illustrates the problem better than any data - it reflects Paris' true attitude towards talents: they want to use them, but they don't dare to believe them.

Li Gangren chose to remain silent. He knows that words cannot replace passing and scoring goals. He's still waiting for his chance, not to win sympathy, but to win real recognition.

For Paris, it may be time to stop talking about ideas and start taking action.. Because if more trust and time are given to Li Gangren, what they will gain will not only be an excellent player, but also a soul that can unite the team, understand the game, and quietly shine at critical moments.

And this may be what the star-studded but slightly impetuous Paris Saint-Germain lacks the most.