Now it’s official: Kennet Eichhorn is leaving Hertha BSC and moving to the Bundesliga. Bayer Leverkusen is in the running for the 16-year-old midfielder.
As Bayer Leverkusen officially confirmed on Wednesday evening, Eichhorn will receive a “long-term contract”.
“We are very happy that we were able to convince Kennet Eichhorn of our concept. We had close contact with Kennet and his family a year ago, and a good connection developed between us back then. That was always noticeable in this year’s discussions,” said sports director Simon Rolfes about the transfer.
According to Sky, Eichhorn will be given a five-year contract with the Werkself. The central midfielder comes from Hertha BSC via a release clause. The transfer fee is said to be around nine million euros.
“Kennet shares our view that at Bayer 04 we have the best conditions for developing into an absolute top player in the Bundesliga. The exchange with our head coach Carles Martínez was characterized by great agreement on football topics and mutual trust. With Kennet we now have one of the best German talents in our ranks,” said Rolfes.
“After really, really good discussions, I decided on what I thought was the best solution: Leverkusen is a club that has quickly developed many, even very young, players into top professionals,” said Eichhorn himself in Bayer Leverkusen’s club statement.
Hertha BSC regrets Eichhorn’s farewell
The 16-year-old played 19 competitive games for Hertha BSC last season.
“Of course we would have liked to see such an incredibly talented player continue to wear the flag on his chest. Nevertheless, it makes us very proud that we were able to accompany him in his development to this point. We wish him only the best and much success for his future path,” said Berlin’s sports director Benjamin Weber.
In recent weeks, numerous top clubs have been linked to Eichhorn, including FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Liverpool FC.