Liverpool's pursuit of top summer target complicated by Brexit

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FT Desk

Liverpool will not be able to bring one of their primary transfer targets to Anfield this summer due to Brexit regulations.

Kennet Eichhorn is one of the most talked-about young footballers in Germany right now. He came through the academy at Hertha BSC and plays as a defensive midfielder, making several appearances in the 2. Bundesliga in 2025/26.

What’s made people notice him so early is how mature he looks on the pitch despite being so young. Coaches and scouts hail how calm he is under pressure and how intelligent his positioning is. Instead of relying on flashy tricks, he stands out because he reads the game well and makes smart decisions quickly.

He started breaking records as a teenager with Hertha, becoming one of the youngest players ever to appear and score for the club.

Born in 2009, he is just 16 years old yet is already generating so much buzz, especially due to a reported €12 million release clause in his current contract. Naturally, he is wanted by Bayern Munich which seems the most likely destination for his talents, but there is interest from basically every big club in Europe.

Liverpool and Manchester City are interested, but neither will have him in their playing squad anytime soon as Brexit regulations dictate that players cannot sign for clubs in the United Kingdom from the rest of Europe until they turn 18 years old.

The earliest he will become available for transfer to the UK is in July of 2027, though it is possible the transfer can be agreed now, with the actual move itself not happening for a year until he's 18.

"Post-Brexit, clubs will not be able to sign players freely from the EU," the Premier League said in a statement in 2020.

"Players accumulating the requisite amount of points will earn a GBE (Governing Body Endorsement) automatically, while players just below the threshold may be considered for a GBE by an Exceptions Panel.

"Players from EU countries who want to play in the Premier League or EFL will be required to gain a GBE, like all other overseas players without the right to work in the UK."

16-year-olds do not meet the thresholds to earn an exemption so he will have to wait until next summer to transfer if it is agreed now.

How Liverpool can sign Eichhorn this summer

While Eichhorn is not able to move to the UK this year, Liverpool can pre-agree a deal for 2027, similar to how Tottenham went about acquiring Luka Vuskovic in 2023.

Having just turned 16, Vuskovic agreed a deal to join Spurs after his 18th birthday. In the meantime, he formally remained a player for his boyhood club Hajduk Split, who coordinated his development with Tottenham.

Vuskovic was loaned by Hajduk to Polish side Radomiak in January 2024 and then to Westerlo the following summer. In 2025, now 18, he officially joined Spurs but was nevertheless sent out on loan again, this time to Bundesliga side Hamburg.

Liverpool could do the same with Eichhorn. Trigger his €12m release clause, agree a deal for 2027 and either let him play for Hertha for another year or coordinate a move to a first-tier outfit with the Berlin club.

Sky Germany reports that Liverpool want Eichhorn to be loaned to a club that competes in Europe next season, preferably the Champions League.