Leverkusen snatch Hertha teenager Eichhorn from Liverpool, City and Chelsea

Bayer Leverkusen have won the race for Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, ending Liverpool’s pursuit of the 16-year-old Germany Under-17 international after the teenager opted against a move to England.

Liverpool had spent several weeks working on a deal for Eichhorn, who carries a release clause reported to be worth €8-9m (approximately £7-7.5m). According to TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey, the Anfield club believed they had made “significant progress” in convincing the defensive midfielder to choose them over fellow Premier League suitors Manchester City and Chelsea. That confidence has since proved misplaced.

“Sources indicate the Reds were increasingly confident they could convince Eichhorn to choose Anfield, with the club’s track record of developing young players viewed as a major attraction,” Bailey reported. “However, TEAMtalk understands all interested Premier League clubs have now been informed that the midfielder will not be moving to England at this stage of his career.”

Eichhorn made 19 appearances for Hertha in the second tier of German football last season and will now step up to the Bundesliga. David Ornstein of The Athletic reports that the teenager will join Leverkusen, the 2024 Bundesliga champions, with RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund also having been involved in the chase. “Given the strength of interest from elsewhere, few tipped Leverkusen to win the race for Eichhorn and many will regard this as a significant coup,” Ornstein wrote.

The setback arrives at a difficult moment for Liverpool, who are rebuilding under new manager Andoni Iraola following a fifth-place Premier League finish and a trophyless 2024/25 campaign. Iraola, appointed last week after Arne Slot was sacked, will also be without Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson when pre-season begins.

The Eichhorn miss compounds a broader difficult window for the club. A separate Liverpool transfer target, RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, has also appeared to favour a move to Paris Saint-Germain over the Reds.