The LOL World Championship isn’t finished, yet the transfer period’s player bidding war has already started. The LCK region remains unchanged, and transfer moves are the same as before. HLE’s support player Delight recently caused a mix-up when the agency Shadow announced that HLE-Delight would stay together for one more year. People thought HLE had re-signed Delight, but it was just a promotional error; only the contract with the agency was extended.

This situation is quite confusing. AL fans who had calmed down were suddenly unsettled again because Kael performed excellently at this year’s Worlds. LCK teams will definitely spend big to compete with AL for Kael. However, insiders on Korean forums revealed that the real contender for Kael isn’t HLE but GEN. Samsung’s management is currently debating whether to renew with Duro or sign Kael.

The insider said Kael’s own thought is: if he doesn’t go to GEN, he will stay in the LPL. If GEN really wants to sign him, there’s a good chance it will happen. Meanwhile, Delight will most likely renew with HLE. This insider’s info seems reliable, as he previously leaked that Doinb would transfer to KT and Duke would join BRO as a coach—both turned out to be true.

At the same time, GEN’s support player Duro posted that they might still fight side by side next year, or maybe not, but wherever he goes, he will keep working hard. Saying this during the transfer period likely means he’s leaving. Honestly, GEN’s loss to KT showed some issues with their support, but Duro didn’t always underperform and had clear improvements compared to the regular season. However, GEN probably doesn’t want to spend more time developing him.

If Duro doesn’t stay, then the previous Korean rumors about GEN renewing their jungle-support duo must be false. Since Kael is in demand, Tarzan might also become a target. Moreover, with HLE’s Peanut retiring, they urgently need a top-tier jungler. These two teams will likely compete with AL for players this year. The core lineup of Panda is unlikely to stay intact next year and may face major roster changes.

Regarding LPL transfer news, there’s no player-related update yet. Recently, Huanyi revealed that currently it’s the time for LPL managers to renew contracts. Player contracts and transfers will start in two weeks. For managers, AL and Aesang have already extended their contracts, reportedly for three years. Additionally, former JDG manager Wan Lei has joined LNG (Zuo Wu is now unemployed). Other team managers have no news for now.

Putting aside character for a moment, the roster Aesang built this year was impressive. With an investment of over 20 million, they won the second split championship and defeated HLE and GEN in Worlds’ international matches. Although they were eventually eliminated by T1, AL pushed them to a full five-game series. Their performance was undeniably strong, especially compared to BLG, which spent nearly the same budget but only reached the top 16. In contrast, AL definitely got great value.

During this transfer period, many have urged Aesang to buy Gala. If the top, mid, jungle, and support positions remain the same, Gala would be a significant upgrade, ensuring AL’s damage output. However, this year’s roster is unlikely to stay intact next year due to LPL’s changed transfer rules and GEN’s strong interest in Kael. Most importantly, Kael himself is considering moving to GEN.

Conclusion:

GEN, as a club under Samsung, certainly has no shortage of funds. Even with Kael’s rising value, they can afford him. Now it depends on whether Kael truly wants to return or stay in the LPL. Also, Tarzan will likely be targeted, with HLE showing interest. If their jungle-support duo leaves, AL’s current lineup will basically fall apart.

So, what do you think — can AL keep Kael?

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