By Joel Lefevre
It appears to be out with the old and in with the new for Liverpool. After saying goodbye to Mohamed Salah, Rhys Williams and Andy Robertson, the club is rumoured to be refreshing its roster for a new youngster.
This comes after the club disappointingly finished fifth in the Premier League this season, having claimed the title in dominating fashion the previous campaign. After the revelation that Rio Ngumoha was last season, the Reds have their eyes on another teenage talent.
It has now been reported by Florian Plettenberg that Liverpool have ramped up their efforts to capture the prodigy in the last 48 hours.
Kennet Eichhorn - Who is he?
Credit: Hertha BSC
He hasn’t played a single minute of top-flight professional football, but scouts are gushing over the talent of Kennet Eichhorn. The 16-year-old German featured in Bundesliga 2 last season for Herta BSC, making 16 appearances and scoring one goal.
Many believe he has a bright future as a professional footballer, and he’s already being compared to a legendary figure in German football. He’s seen as an exceptional talent who usually operates as a #6. He’s shown great composure for his age, with excellent positioning and the ability to dictate the tempo of a match through his precise passing.
In limited action last season, he showed his pace and defensive capabilities, finishing third among Herta players for recoveries per 90 according to FotMob (5.3). Eichhorn has quickly risen through the ranks in Germany, capturing the Pape Cup in 2024 while being named the Player of the Tournament. He also played a part in Hertha's C-Juniors Regional League Northeast title that year.
Credit: Yahoo Sports
His talents are so noticeable that he was invited to first-team training with his club side last summer. Had he met the age requirements, he may even have seen some preseason game action, though he was only 15 at the time. At 16 years and 14 days, he became the youngest player to feature for Herta HSC. His scored in a 6-1 hammering of Kaiserslautern in round three of the DFB-Pokal in December. In doing so, he broke Jude Bellingham’s record as the youngest player to score in the German Cup.
He has represented Germany at the U-15, U-16, and U-17 levels, captaining the latter several times. His massive upside and talents have many labelling him as the next Toni Kroos. That is a lot of expectations to put on a young man’s shoulders, given how valuable Kroos was for his clubs and country. Kroos is considered among the best players at his position for his generation. His special awareness, passive range, set-pieces and quality as a deep-lying playmaker were off the charts. Not only did he win the World Cup with Germany, but he also captured multiple Bundesliga, La Liga, and Champions League trophies. Kennet, though, looks like the real deal.
With a player of his age and talent, many clubs are aiming to lock up Eichhorn into their squad. In addition to Liverpool, reports indicate that Manchester City and Bayern Munich are interested in Eichhorn. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are also in the mix. Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg, though, suggests that the Reds may have the inside track. He reported on May 25th that the club were in concrete talks to bring him over to Merseyside. If he were to depart, it would cost Liverpool around €10-€12 million to pay out his release clause. This morning, Plettenberg reinforced that interest by stating that "Liverpool are continuing to push hard behind the scenes for Kennet Eichhorn. New talks have taken place over the last 48 hours. From the player side, all options remain open at this stage. Leverkusen as a loan destination is also an option being considered by Liverpool."
Credit: Sky Germany
Bringing him to Liverpool, however, would not be as simple as giving in to Herta’s wage demands. The BBC’s Dale Johnson reported after initial interest was rumoured that that the club cannot sign him this summer. He notes that post-Brexit, “you have to be 18 to sign for an English club.” You also can’t sign the player out and loan him until he’s 18. He went on to say that “you can take the South American route, pre-sign talent to move when they turn 18.” One option, though, might be to hope he can qualify for a UK passport. If he doesn’t, he can’t sign for an English club until July 2027.
Despite this news signing Eichhorn is still a possibility. Reporter Lewis Bower notes that Liverpool had a deal in place with Mor Talla Ndiaye to join before turning 18. The same is true for Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Samuel Martinez, and Sidy Barhama Ndiaye. Eichhorn turns 18 next month.
Eichhorn's Long Term Benefit for The Reds
If they can find a way to make this work, Eichhorn could be a huge piece for the club going forward. That’s something former player John Aldridge previously said must be a priority. He notes that adding Fabinho to the squad back in 2018 turned them into a contending team. With the Brazilian, they won the 2018-19 Champions League and the 2019-20 Premier League title.
There is concern from the likes of Aldridge, among others, that neither Ryan Gravenberch nor Alexia Mac Allister are capable of being a strong #6. Both are coming off disappointing campaigns. The deep-lying midfield role was an area other clubs seemed to expose this past season as they lacked cover for the team’s backline.
Eicchonrn has the pace and defensive capabilities to fill those shoes down the road. We will learn shortly just how badly Liverpool wants him and how persuasive the club can be after an incredibly underwhelming campaign. The summer transfer window opens on June 15.
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