The chase for Kennet Eichhorn’s signature is over, and he has sealed a move to the Bundesliga, but not to Borussia Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund have been trying to secure the signing of Kennet Eichhorn for months, along with several clubs from around Europe. However, the midfielder has now decided on his next step.
What Has Been Said?
Many journalists, most notably Fabrizio Romano, have confirmed that Kennet Eichhorn is set to sign for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, on a contract until June 2031.
Then, Florian Plettenberg reported that the 16-year-old has given the green light to Bayer Leverkusen, with the deal set to cost them between €8-€9 million, due to a release clause in Kennet Eichhorn’s contract
This has then all been confirmed by Bayer Leverkusen’s official account posting on social media as well.
It was thought for a long time that Kennet Eichhorn would end up agreeing a deal with Liverpool and then, due to Brexit rules, would remain in Germany for an extra season on loan at a club like Bayer Leverkusen or even Borussia Dortmund. But instead, Kennet Eichhorn has opted to remain in Germany, continue developing and hopefully, for his sake, get some first-team football over in Leverkusen on a permanent deal.
Now it has been reported that one of the key factors in deciding the future of Kennet Eichhorn was the fact that Kennet Eichhorn’s former mentor, Kosta Kotsifakis, has recently taken a job at Bayer Leverkusen as a co-coach of their Under 19’s as well as a talent coach, and Kennet Eichhorn is certainly a talent.
Where Does This Leave Borussia Dortmund?
For Borussia Dortmund, it doesn’t really change a lot for them. They were always seen as an unlikely destination for the German midfielder, due to it being reported on many occasions that they were reluctant to pay the price it would have taken to secure Kennet Eichhorn’s services.
However, the club are still keen on bringing in a player of Kennet Eichhorn’s profile, as it has been reported by SkySportsDE that Borussia Dortmund plan on pursuing Argentinian midfield hotshot, Milton Delgado, after missing out on Kennet Eichhorn
The Boca Juniors player is highly thought of by several teams, so Borussia Dortmund will not be alone in trying to secure his signature, but he would be priced as an overall package as much cheaper than Eichhorn, according to reports, meaning it may be more likely that the Bundesliga runners-up can make a deal happen.
Author’s Verdict: A Blow For Borussia Dortmund, Now They Need To Move Onto New Targets
I think that while it is a significant blow for Borussia Dortmund to lose out on a homegrown talent, like Kennet Eichhorn, to a fellow Bundesliga rival in Bayer Leverkusen, if the club have set the price that they are willing to pay for a particular player, and the price ends up being higher, then maybe they are right to walk away.
Some may say that shows a lack of sporting ambition, others may see it as the club being financially sustainable and not paying more than what they believe the player to be worth.
Only time will tell with this transfer, as even though Kennet Eichhorn is an undoubted talent, he hasn’t played at this level before, and he may struggle to adapt, making Borussia Dortmund’s decision to walk away look genius.
The other side to that is if Kennet Eichhorn comes and takes the Bundesliga by storm immediately, then fans will begin to wonder why the club was so adamant on not paying a little extra for the midfielder.
