😳 Bundesliga clubs queue for DFB gem, now worth more than Musiala

To surpass Jamal Musiala as a German youth player feels almost impossible. Since his Bayern debut a little over five years ago, the currently injured attacking player has experienced a meteoric rise.

At just 22 years old, he is currently, according to Transfermarkt.de, the most valuable Bundesliga player and probably also the best German footballer in the world. But maybe in a few years that won’t be the case anymore.

The reason is a 16-year-old for whom, according to reports from SportBild, all the top German clubs are currently lining up. Kenneth Eichhorn became not only the youngest second-division player of all time when he made his 2. Bundesliga debut for Hertha on August 10. No, he was also listed with a significantly higher market value of three million euros than Musiala at his Bayern debut (one million euros). Speaking of market values: for a few days now, Germany’s U17 captain has also been, according to Transfermarkt.de, the most valuable professional in the entire 2. Bundesliga.

“Honestly, 16 years old, 50,000 spectators. Against a top team — for me he was by far the best player on the pitch. At 16, such a composed performance,” gushed his coach Stefan Leitl after Hertha’s 3–0 win over Hannover about his gem.

Above all, his calm on the ball, vision, and strength in duels give hope for a great career. It’s no wonder, then, that Eichhorn’s name has long been in the notebooks of Bundesliga scouts. Could the step up to the Bundesliga perhaps already come this winter?

📸 Christian Kaspar-Bartke - 2025 Getty Images

As SportBild claims, several Bundesliga clubs — including Leverkusen, Frankfurt, and Wolfsburg — have already had offers for Eichhorn rejected. The Hertha jewel — with the Old Lady since the U9s — currently has the best chances to continue developing in Berlin. As a regular in the No. 6 role, the teenager is already pulling the strings at the capital club without feeling the spotlight of the biggest football stage.

A generational talent like Lamine Yamal has shown in recent years that this can work. Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Assan Ouédraogo (Leipzig) also made early moves to the German top flight and are increasingly playing at a high level.

Of course, there are examples like Jan-Fiete Arp, who went to Bayern at 19 and never found his footing. Let’s rather just enjoy the current state of things. It says that a player is growing at Hertha who can bring joy to all of German football in the future.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Christian Kaspar-Bartke - 2025 Getty Images