FC Bayern are facing stiff competition for Kennet Eichhorn – from Europe’s biggest stage of all places. As the Spanish portal Fichajes reports, Real Madrid have joined the race to sign the 16-year-old midfielder from Hertha BSC, taking the transfer battle for one of Germany’s most exciting young players to new heights
Eichhorn has recently been linked with several Bundesliga clubs, with Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt also reportedly keeping a close eye on the development of the Berlin native. The fact that the Whites have now also expressed their interest has made the situation much tougher for Munich
In Madrid, the teenager is believed to be capable of exceptional development. Internally, Eichhorn is even seen as a potential strategic successor to Toni Kroos – an intelligent playmaker with a keen sense of space and technical cleanliness. Since Kroos‘ career ended after Euro 2024, the Spaniards have been looking for a new structural player in the center in the long term. Eichhorn is said to have exactly this profile
Bayern already wanted to get down to business in the winter
Eichhorn’s name is no longer an insider tip at Säbener Straße either. According to consistent reports, Bayern already made a concrete move in the winter to convince the talent of a transfer at an early stage. Those responsible are said to have campaigned intensively for the 16-year-old, but Hertha initially kept their jewel in Berlin
The background to the interest is clear: the central midfield is set for a personnel shake-up in the summer. Leon Goretzka will leave the club, leaving a vacant position in terms of personnel. Although Munich have quality and depth with Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Tom Bischof, the focus has long been on the next generation
Eichhorn already has remarkable experience despite his young age. In the current second division season, he has played twelve games, started ten times and also started twice in the DFB Cup. The fact that he has not played any more games is due to an ankle injury that has kept him out of action since mid-January
Financially, a transfer would not be a problem for Real Madrid. A reported transfer fee of around twelve million euros is considered realistic – a manageable investment for the Whites. For Hertha, on the other hand, a departure would be a bitter loss in both sporting and emotional terms
For FC Bayern, the question now is how offensively they want to act in the coming months. One thing is clear: with Real Madrid in the race, the competition will not get any easier – and the poker for Kennet Eichhorn will finally become an international affair.