A baby Zubimendi? Arsenal scout special 16-year-old talent

Tom Weber

• 5 Nov 2025 12:01 CST
• 4 min read

News

Arsenal and other Premier League giants are keeping tabs on Hertha BSC wonderkid Kennet Eichhorn, according to German media.

The 16-year-old midfielder is making waves in Germany. Eichhorn has been a highly-rated prospect for years, but his emergence this season has been nothing short of sensational.

He was promoted to the first team by Hertha head coach Stefan Leitl in the summer, despite being ineligible to take part in pre-season friendlies as he had not yet turned 16.

The teenager was given his senior debut in August and, after playing fewer than 70 minutes across two games, was handed his starting berth against then-2. Bundesliga leaders Hannover in mid-September, resulting in a shock 3-0 win.

Since then, he has started six more games (five in the league, one in the DFB-Pokal) and has been crucial as the fallen giants' results have improved after a slow start to a season in which they expected to fight for promotion.

Eichhorn set for a bright future

Hertha faced a major battle to keep hold of the local boy in the summer as various Bundesliga clubs attempted to poach him, but they managed to convince him to stay by giving him a clear pathway to the first team.

Over the past two years, Eichhorn has bulked up in anticipation of his inevitable breakthrough, and this is now allowing him to compete with grizzled 2. Bundesliga veterans who are 10, 20 years his senior.

His recent performances have been incredible. Despite his youth, the holding midfielder is so assured in possession, is able to dictate the play and is not afraid to get stuck in and break up play.

Coach Leitl has used every available opportunity to wax lyrical about the youngster. "I don't give a s*** if he is 16 or 17," the manager bluntly said after handing the wonderkid his debut. "He is a huge talent for Hertha."

Similarly, he said after Eichhorn's first start: "Let's be honest, he is 16 years old, playing in front of 50,000 against a top team. For me, he was the best player on the pitch by a mile."

Given his age, Hertha are trying to carefully manage him, which is why he was an unused substitute at the weekend, but it is not a big exaggeration to say that the 16-year-old is almost undroppable at this point.

Eichhorn has earned comparisons to Toni Kroos due to his performances, although he is a more combative player than the Real Madrid legend. According to BILD, Arsenal and various other Premier League clubs are monitoring him, so it may be more fitting to liken him to Martin Zubimendi.

On the face of it, there is little point in Arsenal or any other English club snapping him up right now because he won't be able to head to the UK until he turns 18 in July 2027.

However, the report claims that he could be had for just €20 million at this point. This price tag is bound to skyrocket the more he plays, so calling dibs on him in the near future could be a shrewd move.

Whatever the case, it is clear that Eichhorn has the world at his feet.

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