Bundesliga duo in the national team?
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If nothing else comes up, Mitchell Weiser will play for the Algerian national team in the future. As our editorial team learned, the 30-year-old professional from Werder Bremen has changed associations with FIFA and could be nominated by national coach Vladimir Petkovic for the international matches in November. Carlo Boukhalfa from FC St. Pauli is also well on his way to becoming a national player.
In March 2023, things seemed to be concrete between Weiser and the Algerian association. “I don’t have the passport yet, but I’m currently in the process. That is of course an option. For me that would be an adventure. I feel like it,” Weiser said at the time on “Spox” and “Goal”. However, nothing happened after that. In November he followed up with the “Deichstube”: “I would like to play another big tournament and am still waiting for a call. Now it’s not like I’m constantly looking at my phone or checking when the next nomination list is coming out.”
Now the topic has gained momentum again and will most likely result in a nomination. Weiser’s mother, whose father comes from Algeria, was in the country at the beginning of October for talks with the association and the decisive breakthrough occurred. Since the Swiss Petkovic took over as coach in February, players have been sought to help the team in terms of sport.
There is a need for action on the right side of the defense. Most recently, central defender Aïssa Mandi (32) had to help out there. The only player in the squad trained for this position was Saâdi Radouani (29), who has one of the lowest market values at 600,000 euros. At 6 million euros, Weiser would be one of the most valuable in the team. In the recent past, players such as Ibrahim Maza (18), Houssem Aouar (26) and Amine Gouiri (24) were convinced to change associations.
The 25-year-old Boukhalfa isn’t ready yet, but according to Transfermarkt information there has been a conversation with the association. His Algerian passport is being processed. His grandfather also comes from the country. While Weiser played for the DFB up to the U21 level, Boukhalfa has no experience in a national team.
