Midfield has not been among the areas that FC Barcelona are looking to strengthen in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Catalans are mainly looking to strengthen their forward line, [prioritizing a replacement for Robert Lewandowski above anything else](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/barcelona-suspect-mischief-but-remain-unfazed-by-real-madrids-move-for-julian-alvarez/), and the defense.
However, the Blaugrana side has still been linked with some midfielders lately. The prominent case has been that of Bernardo Silva, who has now reportedly moved away from Barcelona, and is close to joining their archrivals, Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, the Hertha Berlin youngster Kennet Eichhorn was another name that appealed to them, as they saw him as a very good option to rotate with Pedri. The 16-year-old pearl has impressed with his maturity, vision, and long-passing precision, and is being compared to Toni Kroos because of these abilities.
However, as [SPORT](https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/bayer-leverkusen-adelanta-barca-ficha-131287743) has reported, this avenue has already closed for the Catalans, as the young German has secured a move to the Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen activated the midfielder’s €9 million release clause and have signed him to a 5 year contract, that would end in 2031.
Eichhorn had several big European sides interested in him, including the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, and RB Leipzig. Bayern Munich also tried hard to get him, but he ultimately decided to join Leverkusen, who convinced him with their proven record of developing young talents, despite them not having qualified for the next year’s UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, Barcelona had also been following him for several months, as Deco saw in him a low-cost option to further strengthen the midfield, and more importantly, to have another player who can rotate with Pedri in what is going to be another hectic season. Still 16 years of age, there is still a lot of time for Kennet Eichhorn to continue developing, and who knows he might still end up at the Blaugrana club at some point in the future.