Chance signing to Bayern nemesis: Can he fire BVB top of the Bundesliga?

Chance signing to Bayern nemesis: Can he fire BVB top of the Bundesliga?Football writes the best stories: it may be a tired old cliché, but it’s still true! Jae-sung Lee is a perfect example. When the South Korean signed for Mainz in the summer of 2021, it was anything but planned. In fact, Mainz had a hefty slice of luck when they signed the man who now drives their midfield. But first things first: after several impressive years at Holstein Kiel, Lee had long been on Christian Heidel’s wish list. Mainz’s sporting director even described the playmaker to 'Bild' at the time as his number one transfer target. However, with Mainz fighting to avoid relegation, a move initially appeared to be off the table. Lee was determined to play in the Bundesliga, and Mainz could not guarantee him that at the time. Instead, all signs pointed towards a move to TSG Hoffenheim – although the club later denied this.ADVERTISEMENT: It doesn’t matter what clothes Lennart Karl wears, as long as he plays good football! In TIPICO’s "Die Ansage", Frank Buschmann and Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld discuss the (non-)debate surrounding the Bayern youngster.Heidel had therefore already given up on his transfer target. Until a chance conversation with an agent changed everything. During that conversation, the 63-year-old learned that Lee had not, after all, signed a contract that had supposedly already been agreed. Instead, his agent was negotiating with a Premier League club at the time, believed to be Crystal Palace. Heidel promptly picked up the phone himself and turned the deal into a covert operation: a medical at a South Korean hospital, a digital contract signature, job done. His rivals were none the wiser. Lee has already tormented Bayern twiceA real stroke of luck, as the following seasons would prove. Mighty Bayern Munich felt that more than most, with Lee becoming something of a bogeyman for them. In the 2024/25 season, his brace almost single-handedly sank Bayern and handed Mainz a sensational 2-1 victory. A year later, he struck again in a 2-2 draw. He was denied another chance to shine in the reverse fixture, however, as a toe injury temporarily sidelined him in April. That should make him all the more eager for their next meeting on Saturday afternoon. The 34-year-old and his Mainz teammates will hardly be brimming with confidence, though, after two consecutive defeats. A win would therefore be a soothing balm for the battered spirits of the carnival club. At the same time, it could also shake up the title race considerably. 📸 Alexander Hassenstein - 2025 Getty ImagesBecause Borussia Dortmund are lurking right behind Bayern. Following their 2-2 draw in "Der Klassiker", BVB are level on points with the record champions and host SV Elversberg this weekend. So if Lee becomes Bayern’s nightmare once again and Dortmund take care of business, the Black and Yellows could actually leap to the top of the table. From a transfer that almost never happened to a potential kingmaker in the title race: Lee would surely have no objections to adding another chapter to his own personal success story against Bayern. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.