Overview
- Multiple reports say Eichhorn’s representatives are seeking roughly €10m in signing‑on fees, which combined with a reported buyout near €9m raises the effective package to about €20m.
- Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have cooled or withdrawn interest after assessing the aggregated cost and financial objections within their leadership.
- Liverpool and Manchester City are now viewed as the leading suitors and have held fresh talks while exploring immediate loan plans so Eichhorn can keep playing in Europe until he is 18.
- The lower release clause for Bundesliga buyers creates timing pressure because some clauses are active this summer, but the agents’ demands are the primary barrier to a domestic transfer.
- The dispute highlights how large signing bonuses (handgeld) can materially change a transfer’s cost and how club governance and England’s post‑Brexit registration rules shape deals for top under‑18 prospects.