Liverpool have been linked with one of Europe’s most gifted midfielders - the only problem is that they can’t legally buy him.
If you believe the gossip columns, Liverpool have already opened talks in the hopes of signing one of the most sought-after young talents in the European game: 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn. There’s just one tiny problem – they can’t legally sign him this summer.
Eichhorn broke into Hertha’s first team in the 2025/26 season and has already shone sufficiently brightly to attract attention from a number of elite clubs. According to The Daily Mail (and many others), the Reds have already “made a pitch” to Eichhorn but face a battle, with Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich among his suitors as well. The biggest issue Liverpool face in their hopes of winning this particular transfer race is that they’re the only team who aren’t allowed to buy him.
Who is Liverpool & Manchester City target Kennet Eichhorn?
Germany Under-17 international Eichhorn caught the eye very quickly after making his debut for Hertha last August, when he became the youngest player in the history of the German second division. His technical class and composure on the ball have stood out a mile.
A defensive midfielder whose playing style is reminiscent of the deep-lying playmakers of a previous era like Andrea Pirlo, Eichhorn is blessed with ease and grace on the ball and has a remarkably broad passing range even under pressure. His ability to handle the proximity of opposing players and still pick a pass is hugely impressive, especially given that he’s just 16 years old.
Reasonably tall, strong and a willing runner off the ball, he also forces a very healthy average of four turnovers per game and has the energy and aggression required to harass rival midfielders effectively – perhaps a little too much aggression, given that he picked up seven yellow cards and a red in just 17 league appearances.
There is, as one might imagine given his age, some sanding off of rough edges left to be done, but Eichhorn already has the natural technique and creative vision of a first-rate playmaker. He has apparently described Kevin de Bruyne as an influence on his playing style – and it’s possible to see elements of the Belgian in his passing game.
Liverpool are just one of several teams who are understandably keen on a player regarded as a huge talent. But will they be able to snap him up this summer – especially given that the law states that he can’t yet move to Anfield?
Liverpool might want Eichhorn – but they can’t sign him
While it’s widely reported that Eichhorn has yet to make up his mind about his future, few observers expect him to stay in the 2.Bundesliga with Hertha. His obvious talent suggests that a move to a team in a top division is in the offing. The problem for Liverpool is that post-Brexit rules make a traditional transfer impossible.
Those rules stipulate that British sides can’t sign EU nationals until they’re 18 years old, and Eichhorn is only due to turn 17 this July. Nor do those rules allow them to buy him and then loan him out to a European club – it isn’t an issue regarding UEFA registration rules, but EU law following the UK’s departure from the bloc. Liverpool simply aren’t permitted to sign him.
They are allowed, however, to agree a transfer fee with Hertha in advance and then formally sign him in just over a year’s time, and Liverpool recently took advantage of a similar arrangement to confirm a deal to sign defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna two months ahead of his 18th birthday.
So Liverpool’s only path to a deal for Eichhorn is to outbid their rivals and to persuade the player himself that his best path forward is to stay at Hertha for another season. If he doesn’t wish to do that, then unless he qualifies for a British passport through some previously unknown channel, Liverpool are likely unable to do a deal.
To make matters worse, it’s a problem that may be unique to them among Eichhorn’s suitors. The German sides who are monitoring him are welcome to sign an under-18 player from within their own country, and even Manchester City have a workaround in place – they can sign him using one of the other clubs in the City Group, most likely Spanish side Girona. The post-Brexit rules which make this deal difficult only apply to the UK.
That leaves Liverpool with just one longshot way to get their hands on one of Europe’s most gifted midfielders – unless he simply decides to spend another year learning his trade in the second tier and waits until next summer to make his move. As it stands, that looks unlikely.
Continue Reading