Arsenal wonderkid target decides to move: He can become better than Zubimendi!

Hertha BSC wonderkid Kennet Eichhorn has decided to move in the summer transfer window amid interest from Arsenal, Real Madrid and German giants.

The 16-year-old has been the breakout star of the current 2. Bundesliga season. Despite his youth, Eichhorn has become a regular starter for fallen giants Hertha in their pursuit of promotion.

A combative midfielder, the teenager has made 15 appearances since breaking into the team, and he has not looked out of place against players 10 or even 20 years his senior in the German second tier.

Already during pre-season, when the then-15-year-old was not even eligible to play in friendlies yet, it was clear that Eichhorn would have a big role to play for Hertha this term.

However, he is still essentially a child, so the Berlin club have tried to manage his minutes. Unfortunately, injuries are not entirely preventable, and the teenager is currently out for an indefinite period with an ankle problem.

Eichhorn to leave Hertha

Despite this, transfer speculation continues to swirl. Naturally, Eichhorn has attracted the attention of various clubs both at home and abroad as he is considered one of the biggest prospects in European football.

Up to now, it was not entirely clear what the youngster would do in the summer. Hertha have been trying to get him to agree to a new contract, in part also to get rid of his release clause, which stands at a measly €12 million.

The club have tried to shield him from the press – he is not allowed to give interviews yet – and it was previously thought that he could stay for at least another season to continue his development with his boyhood side.

However, BILD now claims that Eichhorn has decided to move on. The youngster is keen to train with an elite club, with this decision also influenced by Hertha’s ailing fortunes in the battle for promotion. They are currently seven points off third, the relegation playoff spot.

This has put his suitors on red alert. Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig are all desperate to snap him up this summer. Outside of Germany, Real Madrid are said to be chasing his signature.

Eichhorn can outshine Zubimendi

In recent months, it has also been claimed that Arsenal have been tracking Eichhorn. FootballTransfers previously described him as a “baby Martin Zubimendi,” but data from SciSports shows that he can actually become better than the Spain international.

Of course, he is currently nowhere near the level of the Gunners star. Zubimendi is 27 and at the absolute peak of his powers, consistently starring for Mikel Arteta’s side after his move from Real Sociedad.

However, SciSports believes that Eichhorn has the potential to eventually become a more accomplished midfielder. The analytics firm analyses hundreds of in-game data points to calculate a player’s SciSkill rating as well as their future potential.

Zubimendi is currently peaking with a SciSkill rating of 77.4. By contrast, it is projected that Eichhorn could reach a score of 79.3 by age 25 or 26 if he develops as expected. Of course, this is far from guaranteed, but it illustrates how highly rated the 16-year-old is.

Indeed, he could be Arsenal’s perfect long-term replacement for the Spaniard. Age restrictions would allow him to keep developing without the pressure of immediately having to perform for one of the biggest clubs in the world, because he can’t move to the UK until he turns 18 anyway.

This means that Arsenal could sign him for a bargain fee this summer and loan him to a Bundesliga club, allowing Eichhorn to train and play in an elite environment until he is ready to make the step up to the Premier League, similar to Luka Vuskovic at rivals Tottenham.

The Croatian centre-back was signed by Spurs as a 16-year-old and has been out on loan since. Currently, the 18-year-old is enjoying a spectacular season at Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga and has the world at his feet.

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