Chung-yong Lee is considering options abroad after struggling to get a work permit to stay in the UK following his release from Crystal Palace.

The South Korean midfielder is still searching for a new club, having been released by Palace earlier this summer after three years with the Eagles.

Following his release, he was linked with a return to his old club Bolton Wanderers, having been close to joining the Trotters on deadline day in January, only for an injury to Bakary Sako to put an end to the deal as Palace wanted to keep him.

But any hopes of him returning to the north west, where he scored 20 goals in 195 appearances before joining Palace, look to have been dashed again this summer, this time by difficulties in obtaining a work permit.

The Bolton News are reporting that UK work permit regulations have meant he is unlikely to be able to consider a return to Wanderers, with his representative quoted as saying that it is difficult to actually join a team in England due to the problem of the working visa.

(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

The 30-year-old has not featured regularly in recent seasons, playing 50 times in three seasons with Palace and missing out on South Korea's final 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia this summer, having initially been named in the provisional squad.

South Korea failed to get out of the group stage in Russia, and have dropped to 57th in the FIFA World Rankings as a result.

As a result of his issues in getting a work permit, it is understood that Lee is now considering options elsewhere in Europe, in Australia and in Asia.

Speaking at the end of last season, he admitted that he did not know where he would be playing football next season, but hoped to stay in Europe, if at all possible.

Keep up to date with the latest news, features and exclusives from football.london via the free football.london app for iPhone and Android.

Available to download from the App Store and Google Play.