Bargain release clause
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Kennet Eichhorn is one of the most coveted teenagers in the world and the prodigiously gifted midfielder has opted to join Bayer Leverkusen. The deal was made official on July 10 as the teenager has decided Leverkusen is the best place for his development after a huge push from the Bundesliga side. The 16-year-old had a release clause in his contract this summer, and Leverkusen will activate it in a blow to Manchester City and Liverpool, who chased his signature. Eichhorn remains a relatively unknown quantity outside of Germany, but he’s widely viewed as a generational talent with a massive future ahead of him. Eichhorn has already cemented his role as a key player for Hertha Berlin in 2. Bundesliga and has displayed maturity beyond his tender years.
“We are very happy we were able to convince Kennet Eichhorn of our approach,” Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said in a club statement. “We were already in close contact with Kennet and his family a year ago, and even back then we formed a good bond. That was also always evident in this year’s talks. Kennet shares our view that Bayer 04 offers the best conditions for him to develop into an absolute top player in the Bundesliga. The talks with our head coach Carles Martínez were also characterised by great agreement on footballing issues and mutual trust.”
The defensive midfielder has been completely unfazed by playing in front of 50,000 supporters and he’s already broken a number of records this season; the youngest player in 2. Bundesliga history, the youngest starter in the German second-flight and the youngest goalscorer in the history of the DFB Pokal. It was inevitable that Hertha Berlin would lose their prized asset this summer and Eichhorn he wasn’t short of suitors, but he’s opted for Leverkusen.
Who is Kennet Eichhorn?
There was huge excitement around Eichhorn at Hertha Berlin before he made his professional debut against Karlsruhe in August. The midfielder quickly asserted himself as a key player before an ankle injury disrupted his campaign but he’s recently returned to full fitness. Eichhorn has made 16 appearances overall this campaign and his stratospheric rise has led to him gaining a market value of €20 million.
Eichhorn is currently the second-most valuable 16-year-old in the world, behind Max Dowman. The defensive midfielder is incredibly calm in possession, intelligent in his positioning and understanding of his responsibilities. Eichhorn has earned comparisons to one of his idols, Toni Kroos with the Real Madrid legend’s brother Felix Kroos waxing lyrical about the wonderkid. “The way he plays is remarkable,” Kroos said. “He radiates calm, he’s gaining valuable experience but is allowed to make mistakes. I hope he continues to develop at Hertha.”
The transfer battle for Kennet Eichhorn
While he’s valued at €20m on Transfermarkt, Eichhorn will depart for a lower fee due to a release clause in his contract. Transfermarkt understands that clause becomes active this summer for around €8-9m. There are several factors that will determine the final figure, including whether the interested club is participating in the Champions League and it’s likely to be slightly lower after Hertha failed to secure promotion to the Bundesliga. That mooted fee is an absolute bargain for a player of Eichhorn’s potential, who seems destined for the very top. Two weeks ago, Liverpool were viewed as the frontrunners for his signature, while Manchester City have tracked him closely. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were also interested but he’s decided to join Leverkusen with a clear pathway to regular first-team football.
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