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Liverpool are one of several clubs who have been linked with Kennet Eichhorn.
A German teenager linked with a host of clubs has a release clause that is valid this summer, reports suggest.
Liverpool are among the outfits that have supposedly been tracking Kennet Eichhorn of Hertha Berlin. Despite only being 16, he has already broken into the 2. Bundesliga side’s first team. So far this season, Eichhorn has made 10 appearances for Hertha. Impressively, eight of them have been as starts, including a 1-0 win over FC Kaiserslautern last weekend.
Given his tender age, Eichhorn is expected to have a bright future. The midfielder, captain of Germany under-17s, is reportedly on the radar of Liverpool along with Bundesliga clubs Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig along with the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona.
What’s been said
A price tag of around £15 million has previously been suggested. However, Sky Sports Germanyreporter Florian Plettenberg suggests that Eichhorn will be available for less than that fee at the end of the season. It is claimed that a release clause in his Hertha contract is around £8.8-10.5 million. It is said to be Leipzig, who have developed a plethora of players over the years - including Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate - are pushing for the move.
Plettenberg posted on X: “16 y/o gem Kennet #Eichhorn has a release clause in his current contract with Hertha BSC, which runs until 2029. The clause is already valid from this coming summer.
“The amount varies depending on country, competition and the club involved, with an upper limit of roughly €10–12 million. RB Leipzig are pushing for him. Schäfer/Baier watched him live against Kaiserslautern. Bayern and Dortmund were also present.”
After forcing his way into Hertha’s set-up, Eichhorn has earned praise from Felix Kroos, the older brother of Germany legend Toni Kroos, and reckons that he could be worth in excess of £50 million in the future. Kroos said: “[Eichhorn] exudes calmness, gains valuable experience, and is allowed to make mistakes.
"It's incredible. This should be a role model for many German clubs — to give more young talents opportunities to play. He has the quality, but eventually, he will also sit on the bench. A young player like him needs a break now and then because it's a lot for the mind. If everything goes well and Eichhorn stays for another two or three years, those six million (euros, his value on Transfermrkt) could turn into 60 million.”
Will Liverpool sign Eichhorn?
It would not be a surprise that Liverpool have Eichhorn on their radar. The Reds are constantly tracking young players across Europe and are prepared to do business.
However, Eichhorn might see the next few years of his career in Germany to continue to develop. Leipzig have an outstanding reputation for nurturing young talent and selling them for a significant profit. Along with Szoboszlai and Konate, Liverpool purchased Naby Keita for a then-club record fee of £52.75 million in 2017. Dortmund have also proven they have develop fledgling players, including Jude Bellingham.
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