Arsenal and Chelsea have reportedly suffered a fatal setback in their attempts to sign 17-year-old Bayern Munich sensation Lennart Karl.
The 2008-born playmaker recently etched his name into the history books, becoming the youngest-ever German scorer and youngest Bayern scorer in the Champions League.
Karl was on target in the Bavarians' 4-0 thrashing of Club Brugge last week at just 17 years and 242 days old, before also finding the back of the net in the weekend's Bundesliga win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Karl's rapid rise to fame has unsurprisingly not gone unnoticed by the Premier League, and it was reported a few days ago that Arsenal and Chelsea were both keeping tabs on his situationin Munich.
The 17-year-old is already under contract with the Bundesliga champions until 2028, though, and according to Florian Plettenberg, that deal will automatically be extended until 2029 when he turns 18 next February.
Arsenal, Chelsea suffer major Lennart Karl setback thanks to former Blue?
Lennart Karl (R) celebrates scoring for Bayern Munich on October 25, 2025
Karl is currently not yet on professional terms at the Allianz Arena, but that will change in just four months' time, and he will also receive a salary increase to reflect his status as a fully-fledged senior squad member.
Furthermore, Plettenberg adds that there will be no release clause written into the playmaker's contract, and he also has no desire to leave Vincent Kompany's team either in January or the next summer transfer window.
Karl's ultimate goal is to become a key player for Bayern Munich, and his career plan is being supported by his advisor Michael Ballack, a former Bayern and Chelsea midfielder who won the Premier League with the Blues in the 2009-10 season.
The teenager is yet to make his first appearance for the senior Germany team, but he has registered 13 goal involvements in as many games for the national Under-21 side - seven of his own and six assists.
Karl is now said to be dreaming of making the Germany squad for the 2026 World Cup, and he feels that continuing his development with Bayern Munich will give him the best chance of catching Julian Nagelsmann's eye.
Why Arsenal, Chelsea should not lose sleep over Lennart Karl stance
?? EXCL DETAILS | Lennart #Karl’s contract will automatically be extended until 2029 on his 18th birthday, 22 February 2026, and will be converted into a professional contract, including an adjustment to his salary. His current deal is valid until 2028.
The new contract will… pic.twitter.com/1o4a1hxBCW
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) October 27, 2025
While clubs of Arsenal and Chelsea's calibre are always going to be in the conversation when it comes to the best youngsters in Europe, the truth is that neither party really need to spend big on Karl.
Arsenal showed their trust in Ethan Nwaneri with a new long-term contract over the summer, and 15-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman is reported to have agreed a scholarship deal, which will eventually become a professional contract.
Nwaneri is already struggling for starts anyway, so bringing in Karl could lead the Hale End product to think again about his future, while also presenting a potential roadblock to Dowman's path to the first team.
Chelsea, granted, are currently short of genuine playmaking options thanks to Cole Palmer's groin injury - Facundo Buonanotte is the only other out-and-out number 10 in the Blues' ranks, and Enzo Maresca has sometimes shoe-horned Andrey Santos and Enzo Fernandez into more advanced roles.
However, the Club World Cup winners have Kendry Paez on loan at sister club Strasbourg, whom Julio Enciso also signed for permanently this summer, and the former Brighton & Hove Albion man could eventually end up making the switch to Stamford Bridge.
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