Liverpool and Manchester City have now structured formal plans to secure the services of highly monitored Hertha Berlin teenage midfielder Kennet Eichhorn amid interest from Tottenham.
Identifying youngsters with huge potential to break into the first-team squad is a key part of modern football.
Of course, while clubs ideally want these talents to come through their academy ranks, it is equally as rewarding when such players are scouted and signed for relatively low fees before going on to make a major impact at the senior level.
Spurs have had success with this model in recent years, with Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall among the youngsters who have arrived and impressed.
Luka Vuskovic represents another, although he is yet to play a competitive game for Tottenham.
Liverpool and Manchester City are keen on Eichhorn
Spurs Web reported last year that Tottenham had identified another highly rated young talent in Kennet Eichhorn, who plays for Hertha Berlin.
At the time, the 16-year-old, 6 ft 1 defensive midfielder, was highly coveted, with 11 other clubs across Europe monitoring his situation.
An update on Eichhorn has now been shared by TeamTalk, which relays that two English sides have now moved ahead in the race.
It is understood that both Manchester City and Liverpool have positioned themselves strongly to land the teenager, with Liverpool said to have accelerated their pursuit and submitted a proposal, as City has.
The two sides are looking to sign the midfielder and send him out on loan in Germany. City’s proposal would see Eichhorn move into the City Football Group structure before spending at least one season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, with a longer stay in Germany also being discussed internally.
Liverpool, on the other hand, has informed Eichhorn’s representatives that they would allow the player significant influence over selecting the most suitable German destination for his continued development before eventually arriving at Anfield.
Spurs monitoring Kennet Eichhorn amid £10.5m release clause
As for Spurs, they continue to monitor the situation, although it is reported that they, alongside Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United, have held talks over the player in recent months.
Kennet Eichhorn has a modest release clause, believed to be capped at around £10.5m (€12m) as previously reported, with the structure varying depending on the calibre of interest, meaning Premier League and Champions League clubs are expected to pay the full amount.
Interest in the teenager remains strong across Europe, with Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart all understood to be involved, with the German clubs already presenting proposals and remaining firmly in contention.
From the player’s camp, there is growing impression that he has been impressed by the level of interest from some of the continent’s biggest sides, with the final decision expected to hinge more on the sporting project and development pathway rather than financial terms.
If Eichhorn were to move to England, he would not be eligible to play immediately due to FIFA regulations. The 16-year-old would instead need to remain in Europe for at least 12 months before formally joining an English club setup.