Man Utd handed 'boost' in efforts to sign record breaking wonderkid dubbed the next Toni Kroos

Manchester United’s recruitment plan under Ineos is to sign the best talents in the world, and therefore, the next Toni Kroos is bound to attract interest.

The Red Devils’ scouts have been keeping an eye on several top wonderkids this season, with planning for the 2026 transfer windows already ramping up.

Manchester United have already agreed to sign Cristian Orozco, with the Colombian currently shining bright in the U17 World Cup. At this tournament, United are watching other wonderkids, with Felipe Esquivel and Dell being two names being scouted.

However, back in Europe, there is a 16-year-old already playing regular first-team football, compared with Toni Kroos, and now United are among the numerous clubs keeping an eye on him.

Manchester United in the running to sign Kennet Eichhorn from Hertha Berlin

In Germany, there aren’t many prospects getting higher praise than young Kennet Eichhorn from Hertha Berlin. The central midfielder is currently a regular in the German second division and has caught Ineos’ eye.

United in Focus, via Graeme Bailey, understands that despite the fact that he is only 16, Manchester United have been aware of him for more than 12 months, along with other major sides in Europe.

Eichhorn has become the youngest player in Bundesliga 2 history, and we can confirm United have been regular attendees at his games this term. But they are not alone – BlueCo, City Group, Liverpool, along with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, along with German giants Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund are all keen.

Already standing at over 6ft – scouts love Eichhorn’s stature, but his skill levels are superb. He is an all-around modern midfielder.

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Whilst on the radar of all Europe’s top clubs – United in Focus understands that Eichhorn is not looking beyond Hertha at this point, which is positive news for United and other Premier League clubs who, in theory, could not sign him until 2027 anyway, although he could be signed on a pre-contract.

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Bailey then adds, “United have been aware of Eichhorn since before he was a teenager. He is one of those talents that everyone is aware of. But they are not alone; every club in Europe is aware of him.

“His talents are clearly beyond his years, speaking to scouts – you hear him likened to Toni Kroos, Aleksander Pavlovic, even Rodri – you certainly get the idea when you hear such comparisons.

“As for his future, he loves Berlin, has been with the club since he was eight – the chances of him wanting to leave anytime soon are slim, which is a boost to United in terms of their ambitions to land him.”

Ineos must use a multi-club model to secure Eichhorn for Manchester United

Given Eichhorn is already playing first-team football and valued at £17m, signing him to play in the academy wouldn’t make sense, and instead, Ineos should use the multi-club model.

Eichhorn would be perfect to sign for Lausanne or even Nice, give him a few years of experience at the top division level before bringing the wonderkid to Old Trafford.

United won’t be able to sign him until he turns 18 anyway, with his desire to remain in Berlin at the moment potentially a blessing for the Red Devils.

Despite having this available, United haven’t used it anywhere near enough over the past 18 months since Ineos have been in charge.

This would likely attract the youngster, as it would show a plan is in place for him to eventually be a starter for United.

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