AL's key player rumored to join GEN!

Since the "world's strongest team GEN" collapsed at the World Championship, GEN's mid-laner Chovy has been thoroughly discredited. Many LOL viewers guess that GEN will surely reduce its spending next year. GEN builds a star-studded roster every year but keeps embarrassing itself on the world stage. However, something unexpected happened: recently, a well-known LCK insider revealed that GEN is negotiating with AL’s core support player Kael during the transfer period, aiming to swap support Duro with Kael. (This insider previously revealed Deokdam joining KT)

Many LPL fans, upon seeing this news, believe it’s the agency behind support Kael pushing hard, as false transfer rumors appear every year during the LPL transfer window. Still, quite a few fans think Kael joining GEN is very likely, especially since GEN’s top laner Kiin, AD carry Ruler, and mid-laner Chovy all have unexpired contracts. If Kael joins GEN, the team will remain a championship contender next year. Conversely, most AL players’ contracts have expired, so it’s uncertain if AL can keep the same lineup.

Does GEN have a chance to win the championship next year?

Many LPL fans hope AL’s management will step in to stop support Kael from joining GEN. Fans who have watched AL’s matches know that currently AL relies heavily on jungler Tarzan and support Kael. If Kael leaves AL, Tarzan will likely leave too, and losing these two top-tier players would significantly weaken AL’s strength. (Recently, broadcaster Aixiang revealed during a livestream that most AL players are on vacation and have no time to renew contracts with AL)

Some fans are curious: if support Kael and jungler Tarzan both join GEN, can GEN win the World Championship next year? Tarzan and mid-laner Chovy are old teammates with strong chemistry, and Kael is stronger than support Duro. (Of course, GEN’s biggest current problem is mid-laner Chovy, who is the opposite of Faker: Chovy dominates the league but struggles internationally, while Faker gets better the more he plays on the world stage)

AL fires the first shot in the transfer window

Although AL’s jungler and support haven’t confirmed contract renewals, AL manager Aixiang recently revealed he has extended his contract with AG for three more years. This news upset many AL fans, who feel Aixiang is too boastful and has damaged AL’s public image. Some fans also worry Aixiang will stubbornly keep AD carry HOPE. (Aixiang once directly clashed with critics, claiming HOPE is the best-fitting AD for AL and that JKL and ELK can’t compare to him)

Many viewers believe whether HOPE stays with AL next year depends on whether jungler Tarzan and support Kael renew their contracts. If AL’s jungle and support renew, AL must strengthen the bot lane to avoid serious weaknesses at Worlds. If they don’t renew, keeping HOPE is reasonable since he offers great value and has extensive tournament experience, and staying with AL allows HOPE to mentor younger LPL players.

Conclusion

Personally, I feel the LPL is too "impatient" nowadays, rushing to change players whenever the World Championship results are poor. This causes massive roster overhauls for LPL’s star teams every year. In contrast, LCK’s star teams rarely undergo such large-scale changes. What do you think? If AL can keep its jungle and support, will they still replace their AD carry?