Bayer Leverkusen Faces Setback with Kennet Eichhorn's Health Issues

Kennet Eichhorn was supposed to be one of the faces of Leverkusen’s next era. Instead, at 17, he is fighting a very different battle.

The highly rated midfielder, signed this summer after a breakout season with Hertha BSC, is currently undergoing inpatient treatment after doctors diagnosed a metabolic illness. Alarm bells rang in mid-July when Eichhorn suddenly lost five kilos in five days due to a gastrointestinal infection. Further examinations revealed the underlying condition, and the focus now is on stabilising his health and rebuilding his strength.

There is no talk of football timelines anymore. According to Sport Bild, Leverkusen are preparing for a long absence and have removed Eichhorn from their squad planning for the entire first half of the season. No return date, no loose projections. Just a clear understanding that the player’s wellbeing comes first.

For the club, the diagnosis lands right in the middle of a carefully constructed midfield reshuffle. Originally, Leverkusen intended to move on two central midfielders to make room in a crowded department and to accommodate Eichhorn’s arrival. That plan has been scrapped. Only one midfielder is now expected to leave.

Shortlist of Midfielders

The shortlist is clear: Equi Fernandez (24), Aleix Garcia (29) and Robert Andrich (31).

• Fernandez, by all accounts, has the strongest market. The 24-year-old could command a fee of around 20 million euros, and there is no shortage of clubs tracking him. His situation at Leverkusen has been turbulent: he previously fell out with former coach Kasper Hjulmand, but his relationship with current boss Carles Martinez is now described as repaired. That could complicate a sale the club once viewed as straightforward.
• Garcia sits in a different position. The 29-year-old can imagine a move and appears open to a new challenge, but the interest around him has not yet crystallised into the kind of concrete offers Leverkusen are waiting for. The demand is there in theory, less so in practice.
• Andrich, meanwhile, looks the most likely to stay. At 31, he offers experience, tactical discipline and a known quantity in a season where uncertainty has suddenly crept into the midfield picture. As things stand, all signs point to him remaining part of Martinez’s core group.

The twist is brutal when set against Eichhorn’s trajectory over the past year.

At Hertha BSC, he forced his way into the starting XI in the 2. Bundesliga and quickly became a regular. His season was not without interruptions – an ankle injury sidelined him at times, and a red card brought a suspension – but the overall impression was unmistakable: this was a teenager playing with the authority of a seasoned professional.

Scouts across Europe agreed. Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain all monitored his progress, drawn by his blend of composure, range of passing and maturity off the ball. In the end, it was Leverkusen who convinced him, sealing a deal worth nine million euros – a significant fee for a 17-year-old and a statement of intent from the German champions.

He arrived as one of Europe’s most coveted young midfielders, with a clear pathway into a side renowned for developing talent and giving it a stage. Now that path is on hold.

Leverkusen will continue the season knowing they have a prodigy under contract whose breakthrough date is no longer circled on any calendar. The club must juggle immediate sporting needs with the long view: protecting a teenager’s health while preserving the long-term project they built around him.

For Eichhorn, the next decisive battles will not be fought in front of full stands but in hospital rooms and training facilities, step by step, kilo by kilo.

Only once those are won will the question return: when will Europe finally see the version of Kennet Eichhorn it was so desperate to sign?