Arsenal and Manchester United emerge as front-runners for 'next Toni Kroos'

Toni Kroos had a truly illustrious career, spanning 17 years across Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid and the Germany national team before hanging up his boots in 2024

Over his career, the former midfielder made 868 appearances, grabbing 90 goals and registering an impressive 187 assists, helping his sides win the 2014 World Cup, six Champions Leagues, five UEFA Supersups, six FIFA Club World Cups, three Bundesliga titles, four LaLiga titles, and nine domestic trophies.

In 2018 and 2024 he was also named Real Madrid’s Football of the Season, so with the extent of the success the World Cup winner experienced, being labelled “the next Toni Kroos” comes with high expectations.

Well. this is the title being given to Hertha Berlin’s Kennet Eichhorn, the impressive 16-year-old midfielder.

The Sun has revealed that despite him being unable to leave Germany until his 18th birthday in 2027, Manchester United and Arsenal are leading the race to sign the talented teenager.

Eichhorn has risen through the Hertha Berlin academy, joining the senior side this summer and has since become a key part of the 2.Bundesliga side’s set-up.

It’s understood that Hertha Berlin are open to selling the youngster for £17 million, making him affordable despite United’s financial struggles.

However, United have competition from not only Arsenal, but also Liverpool, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich for the Germany Under-17s international.

Given that Kennet Eichhorn is being likened to Toni Kroos, it’s not surprise that top teams are gunning for him, with his ability to dictate the play from deep midfield positions and use well-timed bursts of pace to beat the opposition into the box.