The 22-year-old Bundesliga midfielder from South Korea, valued at 6 million euros, has been selected for the German U16-21 national teams.

Naturalization is presently a worldwide trend in football, with numerous national associations naturalizing players that fit their tactical needs. South Korea, the dominant force in Asia, has also followed suit by naturalizing a 22-year-old Bundesliga player who shows great promise.

According to data from FIFA's official website regarding association changes, 22-year-old midfielder Castro from Borussia Mönchengladbach has changed his nationality from German to South Korean. This means that Castro can now represent South Korea in international competitions, such as the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Castro came through the youth academy in the Netherlands before moving to Nuremberg. This summer, he transferred to Borussia Mönchengladbach for a fee of 4.5 million euros. He has been a member of various German youth national teams, having played at the U16 to U21 levels, but has never appeared for the senior German national team.

Currently 22 years old, Castro stands at 1.78 meters tall, is a right-footed player, and can play as a midfielder, right-back, or left midfielder. Last season, he made 25 appearances for Nuremberg in the 2. Bundesliga, all as a starter, totaling 1995 minutes, scoring 3 goals and providing 4 assists. He will be competing in the Bundesliga this season with Borussia Mönchengladbach.

In my personal opinion, as strong as Asian football is with countries like Japan and South Korea naturalizing players, the Chinese national team should also be open to naturalization and make good use of it, focusing on bringing in young players.