BERLIN (AP) \u2014 Bayer Leverkusen snapped up promising 16-year-old midfielder Kennet Eichhorn from second-division Hertha Berlin on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The Bundesliga club reportedly made use of a clause in the player\u2019s contract with Hertha to sign him for a fee of just under 10 million euros ($11.5 million), while German media also reported the German youth international will receive a signing bonus in the region of the transfer fee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very happy we were able to convince Kennet Eichhorn of our approach,\u201d Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said. \u201cWe were already in close contact with Kennet and his family a year ago, and even back then we formed a good bond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bundesliga rival Leipzig was also reportedly pushing for Eichhorn\u2019s signature, but Leverkusen\u2019s prospects improved after the appointment of Carles Mart\u00ednez as coach<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Kennet, we now have one of the best German talents in our ranks,\u201d Rolfes said.<\/p>\n Born in July 2009 in Bernau to the north of Berlin, Eichhorn impressed over 17 appearances in Germany\u2019s second division and two in the German Cup last season. He scored two goals. He would have played more but for an ankle injury and two-game suspension after a red card. He became Hertha\u2019s youngest professional player when he made his debut in August.<\/p>\n Eichhorn joined Hertha\u2019s youth setup in 2017.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve taken a path at Hertha that has formed me. And that\u2019s been the case since the Under-9s,\u201d Eichhorn said in a Hertha statement. \u201cEvery year, in every team, I felt trust, support, and backing here. I am incredibly grateful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Leverkusen said he had signed a \u201clong-term contract\u201d with his new club and will wear No. 18.<\/p>\n \u201cLeverkusen is a club that has quickly developed many players, even very young ones, into top professionals,\u201d Eichhorn said on the club website. \u201cI will do everything I can to follow a similar path here. I\u2019m really looking forward to taking my next steps at such an exciting, top European club.\u201d<\/p>\n Eichhorn is the second highly rated talent to join Leverkusen from Hertha in as many years after it signed Ibrahim Maza<\/a> from the capital club last year. The now 20-year-old Maza scored three goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances in his debut season and starred for Algeria<\/a> at the Africa Cup of Nations.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n