Rolfes reveals how Leverkusen beat the likes of Liverpool and Bayern to sign Eichhorn | OneFootball

16-year-old Kennet Eichhorn were linked with a number of top clubs in Europe, including Liverpool and Bayern Munich, but ultimately opted to join Bayer Leverkusen from Hertha BSC.

Speaking to Bild, Leverkusen managing director for sport Simon Rolfes has now revealed how the German club managed to win the race for the highly-rated midfielder

“We have known the family for quite some time; that was a major advantage in the discussions. They were here last year, they have been closely following Bayer 04 and have built a good connection with various staff members from the academy and the first-team setup," Rolfes revealed. 

"As an entire club, we campaigned for and fought for Kennet. That made an impression. Kennet’s parents said that this was something very special.”

The final commitment came after a meeting with new head coach Carles Martínez, which Rolfes also attended:

“I said to Kennet:, You haven’t played for us yet, but you already know half the club.”

Remarkably, Eichhorn is expected to combine football with an internship at Leverkusen as part of his education.

“Kennet still has to complete a one-year internship after finishing his ‘Fachabitur’, and he will most likely do that with us at the club,” said the Bayer 04 boss.