Yens Kastrop (22, Nuremberg), who is receiving attention from Hong Myung-bo's team, is solidifying his position in the German national team. He has once again been named to the German Under-21 (U-21) national team.

The German Football Association (DFB) announced on the 14th (Korea time) via official social media that they would reveal the U-21 national team roster, stating, "Our 23 players who will participate in the last international game ahead of the European Championship scheduled to be held in Slovakia this June." They will face Slovakia and Spain in back-to-back matches during the March A match period.

As expected from the U-21 team, which is seen as the future of Germany, there are many players who play in big leagues, including the Bundesliga. Ansgaard Knauff, Nnamdi Collins, Nathaniel Brown (all from Frankfurt), Jonas Urbig (Bayern Munich), Brayan Gruda (Brighton), and Nick Voltemade (Stuttgart) have been named.

Kastrop, who is of Korean-German descent, has been selected again. He has played in all age groups from the German Under-16 (U-16) to Under-20 (U-20) national teams and has recently made it to the U-21 national team. He continues to solidify his role as a key player under head coach Antonio Di Salvo.

Born in 2003, Kastrop is a dual citizen born to a German father and a Korean mother. He was born in Düsseldorf, Germany, and grew up moving through youth teams in Düsseldorf and Cologne, and he chose to be loaned to Nuremberg in the summer of 2022 to secure playing time.

Kastrop made an immediate impact upon joining Nuremberg, securing a starting position. He left a deep impression and successfully completed a full transfer last summer. This season, he is actively contributing as a key player, making a name for himself in the German second division.

Recently, a transfer to the Bundesliga has been confirmed. Borussia Mönchengladbach announced last month that they would acquire Kastrop at the end of this season. The transfer fee is reported to be a base amount of €4.5 million (about 7.1 billion won) with additional options, and the contract period extends until 2029.

Kastrop is also receiving a lot of interest from Korean fans because the possibility of joining the Korean national team continues to be mentioned. However, he has not yet chosen the German senior national team. Depending on his choice, he could soon don the Taegeuk mark.

Kastrop, who primarily plays as a central midfielder, can also perform as a right defender. He is a much-needed resource for the national team. Having established himself as a three-line midfielder this season, he could be the key to solving the national team's long-standing issue of finding a partner for Hwang In-beom.

Kastrop has also expressed his affection for Korea. In 2022, he stated, "I have a strong bond with Korea. I have visited Korea several times. It is a really beautiful country, and the people and culture are wonderful. That's why there are both the German flag and the Taegeukgi in my profile."

Last year, Kastrop's mother sparked significant attention by leaving a comment saying, "My son wants to join the Korean national team." In fact, former coach Jürgen Klinsmann did attempt to contact Kastrop to pursue naturalization, but he was dismissed mid-term.

Recently, it has been reported that coach Hong Myung-bo is also showing interest in Kastrop and has personally checked on him. Because of this, there has been speculation about the possibility of seeing Kastrop wearing a Korean national team jersey soon.

However, it seems premature for Kastrop to join the Korean national team just yet. Coach Hong Myung-bo noted, "I went to Europe to watch the matches in person. The coaching staff also had a brief conversation with his mother. However, considering only the performance aspect, there are many complex factors. It means there are many issues to resolve."

He further emphasized, "Right now, I need to participate in training for 2-3 days to be able to play in a match. I think the desired direction is different from the national team. This is not an issue that can be resolved in the short term. Naturalization is being prepared from a longer-term perspective. There are currently no clear movements."

However, the national team may not have much time. If Kastrop continues to be widely used in the German national teams and grows his presence, the possibility of him rising to the senior national team cannot be ruled out.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Borussia Mönchengladbach, Yens Kastrop social media, Korea Football Association.

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