A reported Liverpool transfer target has decided on his next move, but Anfield won’t be his destination.
Recent reports from Germany suggested Liverpool were leading the race to sign highly-rated Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn after Bayern Munich withdrew their interest. However, despite Liverpool’s strong efforts to secure the teenager, he opted to stay in Germany and turned down the Reds’ proposal.
Transfer insider Florian Plettenberg has now revealed that Eichhorn has given the final approval to join Bayer Leverkusen. The 16-year-old talent is set to complete a move from Hertha Berlin through a release clause worth between €8m and €9m, with a contract running until 2031. His medical is expected shortly, bringing the long-running transfer story to an end.
The update was later confirmed by David Ornstein, with Leverkusen viewed as having pulled off a major coup by landing one of Germany’s brightest young prospects.
Liverpool will undoubtedly be disappointed to miss out on the midfielder, who has been described as one of the most exciting talents of his generation and has even drawn comparisons to a young Toni Kroos.
Despite the attraction of Champions League football at Anfield, Eichhorn appears to believe Leverkusen offers the best route to regular first-team opportunities at this stage of his career.
Liverpool, though, are already looking ahead. Reports suggest the Reds have opened talks over a possible move for Manchester City academy prospect Xavier Parker as they continue their search for elite young talent across Europe.
