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Arsenal in fierce battle to sign Hertha Berlin’s Eichhorn

By Ritayan Chatterjee on May 14, 2026

Arsenal are reportedly in a fierce battle over a deal to sign Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, as per TEAMtalk.

After coming through the German side’s youth system, the 16-year-old made his first-team debut last year. He has been featuring as a rotational option this season, scoring twice in 18 appearances across all competitions.

Now, TEAMtalk claim that Eichhorn is regarded as one of the best young midfielders in Germany, and several teams around Europe have started exploring the possibility of signing him.

Arsenal have registered their interest in him and could make a concrete approach to secure his services during the offseason. However, the youngster can’t move to England before turning 18 due to FIFA regulations.

So, Arsenal are planning to sign Eichhorn this summer before loaning him back to Germany, with the intention of bringing him to North London a couple of years later.

However, the Gunners will have to overcome stiff competition to finalise the operation, as Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on him and are all considering a similar solution to Arsenal’s.

On the other hand, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig are in this race, and unlike English clubs, they would be able to sign him immediately and provide him with the platform to develop.

Eichhorn to Arsenal

Eichhorn has a strong attachment to hometown club Hertha Berlin and had initially been open to staying for longer. But their failure to secure promotion could be enough for Arsenal to convince him to reconsider his stance.

Eichhorn still has a contract until 2029, but has a release clause worth just around £10m, and the clause can be triggered this summer.

The 16-year-old, standing at 6ft 1in tall, is a right-footed defensive midfielder by trait but is also efficient in the box-to-box role. He is technically sound, can play threading passes between the lines, and is also efficient in defensive contributions.

He would be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal with a view to the long-term future should they purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually manage to secure his service by defeating other clubs in this race.