The race to sign 16-year-old Hertha BSC sensation Kennet Eichhorn is heating up as the 2025/26 season enters its final stretch, with Borussia Dortmund emerging as the clear frontrunners.
According to Bild, the Black and Yellows have the inside track on landing the teenage prodigy, who has also caught the eye of European heavyweights including Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Manchester City, and Real Madrid. It's a testament to Eichhorn's rapid rise that so many elite clubs are circling, but Dortmund's reputation for developing young talent gives them a distinct edge.
Eichhorn can leave Hertha through a €10-12 million release clause, but the 2. Bundesliga side is fighting hard to keep their starlet. "There is still no decision. We are in contact with Kenny's parents. We will do everything in our power to convince him to stay here for another year," Hertha sporting director Benjamin Weber told Bild. He emphasized the club's pitch: "Playing time with us. Having that security at a young age. The development time. That is what we can put in the balance as our argument."
One creative solution being floated is a summer sale followed by an immediate loan back to Hertha for the 2026/27 season—a move that would allow Eichhorn to continue his development in familiar surroundings while the buying club secures his long-term future.
Eichhorn has already made history this season. On Sunday, at just 16 years, nine months, and 13 days old, he became the youngest player ever to score in the 2. Bundesliga, netting the opener in Hertha's 2-1 win over Greuther Fürth. That milestone beat Günter Reeg's previous record, set in 1985, by 52 days. It was his second goal for the club, following a strike in December's DFB-Pokal round of 16 victory over Kaiserslautern. In total, the central midfielder has made 18 appearances this season—a remarkable tally for a player his age.
Whether Eichhorn dons the famous yellow and black next season or stays in Berlin to continue his story, one thing is clear: this is a talent worth watching, and the transfer saga is only just getting started.