Borussia Dortmund emerge as favourites to sign 16-year-old wonderkid | OneFootball

With the 2025/26 season nearing its conclusion, the transfer battle for 16-year-old Hertha BSC prodigy Kennet Eichhorn is heating up.

According to Bild, Borussia Dortmund currently have the best chance of winning the race to sign Eichhorn, who has also been linked with, among others, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Eichhorn could leave Hertha via a €10-12 million release clause, but the 2. Bundesliga club are hopeful of keeping him.

“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.

On the arguments for why Eichhorn should choose to stay at Hertha, Weber responded:

“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 possibility mentioned by Bild is Hertha selling the 16-year-old in the summer and bringing him back on loan for the 2026/27 season.

Youngest goalscorer in 2. Bundesliga history

Eichhorn has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with Hertha and wrote history on Sunday.

At the age of 16 years, nine months and 13 days, he became the youngest player ever to score in the 2. Bundesliga when he made it 1-0 in Hertha’s 2-1 win over Greuther Fürth. 

The young central midfielder was 52 days younger than Günter Reeg was when he set the previous record in 1985.

It was Eichhorn’s second goal for Hertha, as he found the net for the first time in a 6-1 win over Kaiserslautern in the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal back in December.

In total, Eichhorn has made 18 appearances for Hertha this season.