Barcelona and Real Madrid in the race for Hertha’s 16-year-old talent

Barcelona and Real Madrid are never slow to spot the most promising young talents in Europe – and increasingly the world – and Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn is increasingly being seen as one of them. The 16-year-old has impressed this season in the Bundesliga 2 and is now being closely monitored by the European giants.

Eichhorn has been one of Hertha’s most used players this season, starting seven of the 12 league games, with consistent performances. According to Sky Sports DE, depending on a number of factors, he will have a release clause of just €10-12m next summer – a figure that is considered affordable for the big clubs.

Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig are the main favourites to sign him so far and have been the most active in their pursuit, but Borussia Dortmund are also monitoring the player’s development.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are also in the running, along with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, who are ranked as the most interested clubs from outside Germany. The Sky Sports DE report was confirmed by BILD last week (via Sport), which added that Liverpool and Arsenal are also interested in Eichhorn. So far, he has been active in front of Hertha’s defense and has stood out for his intelligence and composure in midfield.

However, his future remains unclear for next summer. Despite strong interest from Bayern and Leipzig, a stay at Hertha is not ruled out, as Eichhorn could decide to continue his development by renewing his contract with a higher release clause.

An interesting detail is that Eichhorn is shining alongside Michael Cuisance, a former Bayern talent who was once seen as a future star. The 26-year-old, who moved to Bavaria at a young age but then failed in several other ventures, could be a valuable advisor to Eichhorn in making decisions about his future.