His loan club wants him outright, and his original club wants him back. Where will Korean midfielder Jens Kastroff (20-Germany) end up in 2023-24?
German sports magazine Kicker reports that “2. Bundesliga side Nuremberg will exercise their purchase option” and that “Bundesliga side Cologne could also trigger a buy-back”.
Kastrov spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Nürnberg, where he played right fullback/wingback/wing and central midfield, scoring two goals and providing two assists in 29 games in the German second division. It’s worth noting that the teenager, who won’t turn 20 until July 29, averaged 67.3 minutes per game. 메이저사이트
Kastrov progressed through the ranks at Cologne from the youth team in 2015, the under-17 team in 2018, the under-19 team in 2020, and the senior second team in 2021 before being loaned to Nurnberg in the German second division.
Nürnberg and Cologne 2.Bundesliga (Germany’s fourth division) have the right of first refusal for Kastrov, which kicks in on July 1, 2023. Cologne has the right to bring the player back and Nürnberg has the right to buy him outright.
“Nürnberg want to keep him as a regular, but Bundesliga side Hoffenheim are interested in signing Kastrov,” said ‘Kicker’. That’s why Cologne are considering exercising their buy-back option.”
Nuremberg would have to invest €450,000 (about $630 million) to secure 100% ownership of Kastrov. According to ‘Kicker’, Cologne are looking to get a bigger transfer fee from Hoffenheim.
The Bundesliga is rated fourth in UEFA’s league rankings. For Kastrov, the choice between joining Hoffenheim and reaching the major leagues or staying at Nürnberg to gain more experience in the German second division is crucial.
Kastrov played 136 minutes for Germany in two UEFA U-19 Championship qualifiers in March 2022, but he has not ruled out the possibility of playing for his mother’s country, having recently met with South Korea coach Andreas Köpke (61).
Köppke is a former German superstar who was named UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year in 1996 and the International Federation of Futbol Hockey Statistics (IFFHS) World’s Best Goalkeeper. Kastrov is also a Nürnberg captain, having played 362 games for the club between 1986 and 2001, including cup competitions.
Jürgen Klinsmann (59-Germany), the head coach of the Korean national team, sent Köpke to Kastroff, which is an excellent choice given the common denominator of ‘Nuremberg’. The meeting was reportedly positive.