Jens Castrop

Key strength: Work rate

Box-to-box midfielder

Languishing in 14th place with just two wins from their last five matches, Borussia Mönchengladbach's season has drifted into troubled waters. Yet amid the Foals' turbulence, 22-year-old Korean midfielder Jens Castrop has emerged as an unlikely beacon of consistency. With 21 appearances and 1,072 minutes under his belt—the 22-year-old has been ever-present in this struggling campaign. While his modest return of 1 goal and 0 assists won't dominate headlines, Castrop's true value lies deeper: he is the engine room's disciplined heartbeat. Operating as a box-to-box midfielder, his tireless running and positional intelligence creates the platform for creative teammates like Yannik Engelhardt to flourish. Most remarkably, Castrop has navigated the Bundesliga's furnace without collecting a single card all season—a staggering feat of composure that speaks to his maturity. Valued at €6 million, this young Korean is proving that influence transcends statistics, offering Gladbach the stabilizing foundation their faltering campaign so desperately craves.