It has been an up and down few weeks for Lee Kang-in. He ended May with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winning a second successive UEFA Champions League title with a win against Arsenal in Budapest. Then he went to the World Cup and had a great opening game in the 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, but then it all went wrong, as everyone in Korea knows.

Now though, the 25-year-old has made the big move that has been on the cards for some time. Lee is regarded as the most naturally talented player in Korea and perhaps the whole of Asia.

The problem in Paris was that Lee didn’t get enough playing time. He may have had plenty of minutes in domestic French football in a league that the PSG dominates, but in the big Champions League games against the best in Europe, he was usually left on the bench. While he celebrated on the field, he didn't appear in the final.

Now, as he approaches what should be the peak of his career, the next move was always going to be crucial. Lee is set to be the main man for Korea for years and can’t afford to spend more time on the sidelines.

Of course, there were reports about English Premier League interest especially with Son Heung-min no longer playing in the world’s most popular league and Hwang Hee-chan's departure. But a return to Spain seemed more likely.

And so it has come to pass. Three years after leaving Mallorca to head to Paris, Lee is now back, but this time, with Atletico Madrid. This club is not quite at the level of Real Madrid and Barcelona (but then no clubs are), but it is very much a third power in Spain and a recognized European giant with 11 Spanish league titles and has appeared in the final of the Champions League on three occasions without actually lifting the most prestigious club trophy in the world.

Also notable is that Diego Simeone has been the head coach since 2011. The Argentine’s influence runs throughout the club and its 70,000-capacity stadium. Lee has been handed the number seven shirt that has been vacant since French superstar Antoine Griezmann left in the summer.

The challenge is for Lee to become the main man at a seriously big club. While he has long had the ability, he has never really had the opportunity to show what he can do at a high level. That is now coming his way and the player who first became known at 6 years old through a reality television show, can really show what he can do.

His first challenge may be back in Seoul as Madrid takes on a preseason friendly against Manchester City on Aug. 9. With the Spanish club making a big deal of their new Korean signing, there are likely to be a few more red and white shirts in the crowd than would have been the case a few weeks ago. The era of Lee Kang-in in Madrid is about to start.