Toby Albert gives Hampshire the edge until formidable chase, with Dickson and Gregory key to finale

Alan Gardner13-Sep-2025Somerset came out on top in a clash of the T20 Blast titans, pulling off the highest successful run-chase in the competition’s final to overcome Hampshire and claim a record-equalling third title under the Edgbaston lights. Will Smeed blazed 94 off 58 to get Somerset most of the way there, before Lewis Gregory obliterated the tension in the stands by hammering a four and two sixes in five balls to seal victory with an over to spare.Hampshire, whose total of 194 for 6 had been underpinned by 85 off 48 balls from young opener Toby Albert, seemed to be in control as the requirement for Somerset ticked beyond two runs per ball just past the halfway mark. But Scott Currie’s drop of Sean Dickson was to prove crucial, as a fourth-wicket partnership of 88 off 51 dragged the contest back Somerset’s way.Having been asked to bat, Albert and James Vince made up for the early of loss of Chris Lynn with a stand of 97 in 59 balls to put Hampshire in a formidable position. Albert, in particular, produced some audacious shot-making – including four reverse-hit boundaries in the space of six balls – as Somerset were asked to make the highest-ever score in the final of the competition.Their start was given the required fizz by Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who hit one enormous six over the roof of the Hollies Stand and out of the ground, and although Hampshire frequently seemed one good over from shutting the chase down, Smeed and then Dickson – the linchpin in Somerset’s 2023 Blast success – kept landing timely blows. With both teams making their 11th Finals Day appearances, it was always likely to be a tussle for the ages.Victory for Somerset ended the hoodoo for winners of the first semi-final, as they became the first team since Worcestershire in 2018 to lift the trophy after kicking their heels during the second game. It also marked a fifth consecutive triumph for the South Group – though that was confirmed earlier in the day by the exits of Lancashire and Northamptonshire.Toby Albert played some audacious reverse-ramps in his 85•Getty ImagesTKC lands first blow, Baker hits backBatting second on a surface that was being used for the third time in the day meant Somerset knew they had to get a shuffle on. Smeed picked up boundaries in each of the first two overs – Sonny Baker also contributing with five wides from his first ball – and Kohler-Cadmore then took up the cudgels, hammering his fourth ball, a pull off Chris Wood, over the heads of those in the Hollies and out towards the River Rea.Scott Currie’s first delivery also flew all the way, as Kohler-Cadmore unleashed a scything uppercut over deep third. Baker returned, switching to the Pavilion End, only to be thrashed through the covers. But the Hampshire fast bowler showed why he is on England’s radar by splattering Kohler-Cadmore’s stumps with an 88mph yorker to end the opening stand at 46.Smeed carries the fightSmeed had ticked along to 18 off 15 but responded to the loss of Kohler-Cadmore by twice cracking James Fuller through point at the start of the sixth. Tom Abell departed for a duck in the same over, Somerset finishing the powerplay on 55 for 2, but James Rew picked off early boundaries as Smeed bedded into the middle overs.Currie’s return in the 10th saw the back of Rew, chopping on to his stumps, and Hampshire looked to squeeze through the nous of South Africa spinner Bjorn Fortuin. The required rate was approaching 12 an over, but Smeed kept Somerset in touch with back-to-back fours off Fortuin and then a thump off Howell. Then came the crucial drop of Dickson, with Smeed turning the screw in the following over by taking three more boundaries off Fortuin. That meant Somerset finished the 15th over on 136 for 3 – exactly the same score as Hampshire as the same stage of their innings.Sean Dickson played a key hand for Somerset•Getty ImagesFinisher Dickson does it againWith 59 needed from 30 balls, Dickson produced his first flourish by ramping Baker over the keeper for his first boundary. Another driven four followed, and Smeed then crunched Currie into the Hollies to keep Somerset in touch. With dew becoming a factor, the 18th over was to prove decisive as Dickson – who is leaving Somerset for Glamorgan after not being offered a new contract – twice took Benny Howell for sixes, the first an outrageous reverse-swipe that sailed over deep third.Nineteen runs came off the over, leaving Somerset needing 18 from 12, and although Smeed picked out long-off to fall short of becoming the second man on the day to reach three figures, he walked off with the highest individual score in a final. The jig was up for Hampshire, and in came Gregory to ice the chase with a flurry of boundaries and spark a raucous rendition of “Somerset, la-la-la” in the stands.No Lynn-sanity this timeAfter his semi-final heroics, in which he became the first man to score a hundred on Finals Day, Lynn joked that he would be happy to keep batting, with just a 45-minute turnaround to the final: “Got the pads on, let’s go.” He got his wish, with Somerset opting to chase, and duly smoked his fourth ball back down the ground for his 12th six of the day; but he didn’t last much longer, chipping Craig Overton to cover in the third over.But where Lynn’s top-order colleagues had gone missing against Northants, here they stood up. Albert had got going with back-to-back drives for four, in the process overtaking D’Arcy Short at the Blast’s leading run-scorer for the season. After Vince chimed in with whipped sixes off Overton and Jake Ball, Albert signalled the Hampshire charge was well and truly on by taking Migael Pretorius’ only over of the night for 25 with a sequence of 4-6-6-4-4, only interrupted by a wide.Vince then launched Overton for his third six at the start of the sixth over, followed by consecutive fours – which meant eight legitimate deliveries in a row had disappeared to the rope. Even without the Lynn-sanity, Hampshire had piled up 83 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.Albert takes overWith the fielding restrictions relaxed, Hampshire opted for consolidation during the middle of the innings. Albert was the first to fifty, off 29 balls – his sixth of a breakthrough campaign – while Vince also reached the mark in the 12th over, from 32. Three balls later, the partnership was broken when Vince dragged Lewis Goldsworthy to deep midwicket, and Somerset then chipped out another when Ball’s brilliant return catch saw off James Fuller.Hampshire had only scored three boundaries between the start of the seventh over and the midway point of the 16th. Despite the slowdown, Albert decided it was time to jam the gearstick in reverse. Ben Green was twice reverse-swept off the stumps, despite bowling near-yorkers, over and past short third for back-to-back fours, and Albert then did the same to Ball when he went short, slapping another brace of boundaries to move into the 80s.Albert fell at the start of the next over, missing a swipe at Gregory’s change-up to see his off stump rattled. But Howell cleared the ropes twice in a useful cameo at No. 5, as Hampshire equalled Northamptonshire’s total of 194 for 2 (made from 18 overs) in the 2013 final. Somerset needed to set a new benchmark to claim their record-equalling third title. They duly obliged.

فاز اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري على أولمبيك آسفي المغربي، بهدف دون مقابل، في المباراة التي جمعتهما مساء اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

واستضاف أولمبيك أسفي المغربي نظيره اتحاد العاصمة في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات في بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

طالع|الزمالك يواجه كايزر تشيفز في مهمة صعبة خارج الديار بـ الكونفدرالية

وتمكن اللاعب زكريا دراوي، من تسجيل الهدف الوحيد في اللقاء لصالح اتحاد العاصمة في الدقيقة 84، بعد هجمة أربكت دفاع الفريق المغربي.

وبهذا الفوز، يعتلي اتحاد العاصمة صدارة مجموعته في منافسات كأس الكونفدرالية، برصيد ثلاث نقاط.

أما أولمبيك آسفي يبقى في رصيده ثلاث نقاط بالمركز الثاني، في انتظار مباراة سان بيدرو ودجوليبا بنفس المجموعة. هدف فوز اتحاد العاصمة على أولمبيك أسفي في الكونفدرالية

In the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, he made 816 runs at 74.18. He followed that with 674 runs at 56.16 in 2024-25

Shashank Kishore27-Jul-2025

N Jagadeesan will join the India squad in London by Tuesday•TNCA

N Jagadeesan, the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper, has earned a maiden Test call up ahead of India’s fifth and final Test against England starting on Thursday at The Oval.He replaced Rishabh Pant, who fractured his right foot while batting in the first innings in just-concluded Old Trafford Test.Jagadeesan, 29, is understood to have received his visa early on Sunday morning and will link up with the squad in London by Tuesday. He will be a back-up for Dhruv Jurel, who kept wicket in both the third and fourth Tests as a substitute to cover for Pant’s injuries – in the third Test, Pant had a finger injury.Related

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Jagadeesan has been on the fringes of the India A setup for a while. He has topped the run charts for Tamil Nadu two seasons back-to-back in the Ranji Trophy. In 2023-24, he made 816 runs in 13 innings at 74.18. He followed that with 674 runs in 13 innings at 56.16 in 2024-25.While Jagadeesan didn’t make the India A cut for the shadow tour to England, he’s been part of a wider pool of targeted players shortlisted by the BCCI’s centre of excellence over the past 12 months. As a batter, he’s also shown adaptability to play in different batting positions.He has built a formidable domestic record since making his first-class debut in 2016. He averages 47.50 and has aggregated 3373 runs in 79 innings, with ten hundreds and 14 half-centuries, with a best of 321 against Chandigarh in January 2024.Jagadeesan was most recently in action earlier this month for Chepauk Super Gillies in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, hitting a 41-ball 81 in his last T20 innings on July 4. This will be Jagadeesan’s second tour of the UK, after having earlier led a Tamil Nadu Colts team last year.

Certain pundits and fanbases might be trying to hold their set-piece dominance against them, but it’s currently an excellent time to be an Arsenal fan.

Mikel Arteta’s side are undefeated in the Champions League, flying high at the top of the Premier League, and look like the best defensive side in world football.

Yet, the Gunners cannot rest on their laurels as their next opponent is the always dangerous Brighton & Hove Albion in the Fourth Round of the League Cup.

With that said, Arteta will need to make some changes to his team for the game, including dropping the talismanic Bukayo Saka.

Why Arteta should drop Saka

Now, there is undoubtedly an argument to be made that Arteta should keep Saka in the team for Wednesday’s game in a bid to help him build up more match fitness and momentum.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, such an argument loses a lot of weight when you consider that the Gunners’ next three games are against Burnley, Slavia Prague and Sunderland.

In other words, while those won’t be easy matches, they should be that bit more straightforward than a clash with the Seagulls and, in turn, even better opportunities for the 24-year-old to find some rhythm.

Moreover, and this interlinks with the main reason the manager should be dropping the Hale Ender: they are far more important games.

Following the last three years of almost getting there, it is far more important for Arsenal to win the Premier League or the Champions League; therefore, they need to play their best players in those competitions, not risk injury in lesser competitions.

Saka’s injrury record
Season	Days Out	Games Out
25/26	26 days	6
24/25	122 days	25
23/24	36 days	10
21/22	6 days	1
20/21	13 days	2
19/20	13 days	0
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Were this a couple of years ago, then perhaps it would be fine to play the Hale Ender in all four games.

Still, after he missed almost four months of action with a hamstring problem last season, and has already missed a month of action this year with another, it would be unwise to do so today.

Furthermore, with Noni Madueke and now Gabriel Martinelli out of action, risking the Ealing-born gem feels like it would be even more foolish than usual.

Finally, Arteta can happily rest Saka for the game against Brighton because, even with the other injuries, there is one player who could step in.

The Arsenal player Arteta must start over Saka

With Madueke and Martinelli out, the player who should and probably will come in for Saka against Brighton is Ethan Nwaneri.

The Hale End gem might be seen more as a central player in the long term, but last year proved he is more than capable of filling in for Saka on the right.

For example, in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes, the “phenomenal” game-changer, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, managed to score nine goals and provide two assists.

That works out to a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which is a rate of return many seasoned professionals can’t even match.

Moreover, the manager knows he can deal with the Seagulls, as the Enfield-born gem scored a brilliant goal at the Amex in the league last season.

Additionally, it’s not like he was just lucky last season, as the 18-year-old’s underlying numbers were just as impressive as his output.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the league last season for successful take-ons, the top 6% for take-ons attempted and carrying distance, the top 8% for crosses, the top 9% for non-penalty goals and more, all per 90.

Nwaneri’s Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Goals – xG	+0.28	Top 1%
Non-Penalty Goals – npxG	+0.28	Top 1%
Successful Take-Ons	3.72	Top 2%
Successful Take-On %	59.7%	Top 2%
Take-Ons Attempted	6.23	Top 6%
Total Carrying Distance	286.79	Top 6%
Crosses	5.43	Top 8%
Non-Penalty Goals	0.40	Top 9%
Crosses into Penalty Area	0.60	Top 9%
Touches (Att 3rd)	34.09	Top 9%
Progressive Passes Rec	11.36	Top 11%
Progressive Carrying Distance	133.64	Top 11%
Goals	0.40	Top 12%
Goals/Shot	0.17	Top 12%
Goals/Shot on Target	0.44	Top 12%
Passes Completed (Short)	21.72	Top 12%
Carries	36.70	Top 12%
All Stats via FBref

Finally, regardless of the rest of the team, the manager should be looking to start the teenager in this game, as he needs more minutes to keep him content with his squad role at present.

Ultimately, Arteta should drop Saka for the game against Brighton and start the incredibly exciting Nwaneri in his place.

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White Ferns allrounder too good for Northern Superchargers as Brave move top

ECB Media13-Aug-2025Southern Brave 103 for 2 (Wyatt-Hodge 43, Wolvaardt 33*) beat Northern Superchargers 102 (Armitage 36, Devine 3-15)A tight bowling performance led by Sophie Devine followed by a comfortable run chase with Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Laura Wolvaardt at the helm saw Southern Brave easily defeat North Superchargers by eight wickets at Southampton and make it three wins from three in The Hundred women’s competition.Electing to bat first, Superchargers started in a subdued fashion, scoring just four from the first 10 balls and losing Alice Davidson-Richards (2) and Phoebe Litchfield (5) on the way to posting 19-2 in the 25-ball powerplay.Davina Perrin (13) was run out by Tilly Corteen-Coleman going for an incredibly risky second as the visitors continued to labour against tight Brave bowling, reaching 43-3 at halfway.Mady Villiers took the big wicket of Annabel Sutherland (20), the Aussie well caught by Maia Bouchier at long-on, before Georgia Adams removed Superchargers wicketkeeper Bess Heath (3), brilliantly caught running backwards by her opposite number Rhianna Southby.Skipper Hollie Armitage (36 not out) stuck in and was joined by Lucy Higham (13) at 74 for 7, the pair rallying late in the innings, sharing a partnership of 27 before Higham was dismissed by Devine (3-15) as the Kiwi took two-in-two in the final set to see Supercharges 102 all out.In the chase, Grace Ballinger conceded just a wide from the opening set as Maia Bouchier started cautiously.A single by Wyatt-Hodge off Kate Cross to take the score to 5-0 saw the experienced right-hander become the second player to pass 1,000 runs in The Hundred after Nat Sciver-Brunt reached the milestone last week.Bouchier (5) was caught at mid-off off Cross, but Wyatt-Hodge put her foot on the gas, hitting Linsey Smith’s left-arm spin for three consecutive boundaries, combining with Wolvaardt to bring up the Brave’s 50.Wyatt-Hodge was stumped off Katherine Fraser for 43 with 20 runs still required, but Wolvaardt (33 not out) and Devine (15 not out) saw the Brave home with 17 balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero Devine said: “The support we’ve had down here these last two games has been exceptional, so nice to have a couple of wins here and we’ve got a bit of travel to do now.”We were a little bit in two minds as well with the overhead conditions and a used wicket, the great thing about this competition is the wins at home and being able to play to your home conditions and I think we did that exceptionally well today.”Credit to everyone, I think we adapted really well with the ball and the way Danni and Wolvy went out there with the bat, they made it look like a different wicket.”

Before the second innings in Durban, the South Africa captain had 22 fifties but only two hundreds to his name

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Nov-2024Yes, it is a bowlers’ era, and sure, this is not the strongest South Africa batting order there has ever been, but eventually people are going to look across your stats, find the column under “Hundreds”, and check.Temba Bavuma is aware of this. Painfully aware.Before the second innings at Kingsmead, he had only two trips to triple figures, compared to 22 fifties. The rock to throw at him is that this is a poor conversion rate, even if many of those fifties came in difficult match situations. Both his team-mates and his opposition, for example, have praised his first-innings 70, for having taken South Africa from a truly modest total to a halfway-respectable 191, given the conditions.Related

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Still, that column on the stats page has eyes on it. And on Friday, at Kingsmead, he raised the count to three, hitting 113 against Sri Lanka. Will people wonder how he has been doing as captain and see that he averages 54.22? Will they wonder how many of his innings have come at No. 6 and lower (51 off 103 innings, by the way), and reason that these are not positions where centuries are harder to come by? Perhaps not many will. Hundreds are kind of a big deal.”Getting to a three-figure mark is always a lot more satisfying, personally,” Bavuma said, about making centuries vs important fifties. “When you bat in positions where the team is in trouble, and you get to a 50 to 60, I guess it’s good in terms of getting the team into a competitive position. But once you’re able to go over, you really get the team into a strong position.”Hundreds are a currency as a batter as well, I guess that increases that value. There’s obviously a lot of confidence that comes from scoring a hundred, and I think in terms of the batting line-up we’re getting to a stage where we’re starting to believe that in each innings, someone is able to go and get a hundred, so it’s good to add to that confidence.”

“Getting to the three-figure mark was quite nerve-racking. I went over to him and said, ‘Stubbo, please get me on strike. I can’t wait on this end'”

Bavuma’s approach to the hundred was fraught, however. Between getting to 80 and getting to triple figures, there was an edge that dropped short of the slips, a ball that jumped up and hit him on the glove, plays and misses, and an lbw shout and a review to the shot (it came off his glove) he got to triple figures off. Bavuma had, in fact, been asking for the strike.”I think I’m not too good when I get to the 80s and 90s. I’m going to try and get there [to a century] as soon as I can. They had the second new ball as well, and there was still something on offer for the bowlers. I was always looking to score.”Then, obviously, getting to the three-figure mark, it was quite nerve-racking. Against the spinner [Prabath Jayasuriya], I got one off the first ball, and then the next two balls Tristan Stubbs blocked. I went over to him and said, ‘Stubbo, please get me on strike. I can’t wait on this end.’ He was able to do that, so I was always going to play that shot.”The shot was a paddle sweep, and he just managed to get a glove to the ball before it hit him on the pads in front of the stumps.”It was a bit high risk, but the way the spinner was bowling, I was thinking of getting to that three-figure mark and then kind of starting again.”Sri Lanka reviewed that lbw, shout, but Bavuma had known he had got enough on it. He politely waited for the big screen to show the little spike as the ball brushed his glove.Then he celebrated his third hundred.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now targeting Brendan Rodgers as a replacement for Vitor Pereira, amid boardroom doubts about the Portuguese manager, who has made a very poor start to the campaign.

Indeed, Pereira is arguably fortunate to still be in a job, given that West Ham United and Nottingham Forest have already made changes, with the Old Gold sitting bottom of the Premier League, having failed to win any of their opening nine games.

Wolves have amassed just two points, which means they are currently six points adrift of safety, and the most recent result is likely to be particularly concerning, suffering a 3-2 defeat at home against newly-promoted Burnley.

Pereiera had to be dragged away from an altercation with the fans after the full-time whistle, before going on to urge the supporters to stick with the team in his post-match interview, saying: “We understand the frustration of the people and supporters but what I must say, if we fight united with them, we can win games and compete and achieve our targets – without them, it is impossible,”

“If we win two or three games in a row, things will change.”

The 57-year-old appears to be safe for the meantime, with the board not taking any drastic action after the Burnley defeat, but the club’s hierarchy are starting to have doubts about their manager…

Wolves targeting Rodgers to replace Pereira

According to a report from The Boot Room, Rodgers has now emerged as a target for Wolves, with the 52-year-old now available after resigning from his position as Celtic manager earlier this week.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey adds: “Wolves, as it stands, are sticking with Vitor Pereira, but I understand the club’s hierarchy is split. Some wanted Pereira out after their weekend defeat to Burnley, so they are one to watch.”

As such, the former FC Porto manager may get a few more games to save his job, but if results don’t improve, the Northern Irishman could be brought in to replace him, having decided moving back to England is his “number one priority”.

After such a poor start to the season, the Old Gold may need a special manager to guide them to safety, and the ex-Celtic boss, who has managed 34 Champions League games, could fit the bill.

Gabriel Agbonlahor once lauded the former Leicester City boss for the work he did at the King Power Stadium, describing him as a “world-class” manager.

During his time with the Foxes, Rodgers, who often utilises a 4-3-3 formation, secured two fifth-place finishes and won the FA Cup, showcasing that he is capable of punching above his weight with a smaller club.

Despite signing a new three-year contract last month, there is only so long Wolves can stick with Pereira if results don’t improve dramatically, and the former Leicester manager could be the ideal replacement.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 18, 2025

Liverpool are now reportedly ready to spend over £100m to sign Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh in an attempt to solve one of Arne Slot’s glaring problems.

Winless in four Premier League games, Liverpool’s title defence has turned into an unexpected nightmare. Slot’s side have looked out on their feet even when clawing victories at the start of the campaign. For the first time in the Dutchman’s time at Anfield, he is under increasing pressure.

Defeat at Brentford was particularly damning. The Red were bullied in West London and a squad built on a £400m+ spending spree were silenced by some old faces in a stark reminder that money doesn’t always equal success.

Alas, what should concern those at Anfield the most is Slot’s recent admission that he’s yet to find a solution to the physical style that sides are implementing against Liverpool. In the era of Premier League football, the champions have simply been unable to compete, with Arsenal epitomising the change taking place in England’s top flight.

Former Anfield star Jamie Carragher recently echoed those struggles, saying: “Losing four games in a row for Brentford would be a disaster. To see the champions do it with the expenditure in the summer means we’re in crisis time for Liverpool right now.

“There will be a lot of serious questions asked in the dressing room between the players and the coaching staff and the people above the manager. When they’ve looked at what they’ve spent, they’ll be looking for a lot more.”

The solution may not even come internally for Liverpool either, who are ready to break the bank for Minteh in an attempt to at least fix one problem.

Why Liverpool are ready to break the bank for Minteh

According to FootAfrica, Liverpool are now ready to spend over £100m to sign Minteh from Brighton in 2026. The winger has enjoyed an impressive season so far and with the Reds looking to inject the directness that they lost when selling Luis Diaz in the summer, he has emerged as an ideal option.

Minutes

770

680

803

Goals

1

5

3

Assists

2

4

2

Successful take-ons

23

36

2

Although the goals are yet to come for Minteh, his take-on success is something to take note of when compared to Salah. The Egyptian, in one of his worst starts to a Liverpool season, has completed just two take-ons. Minteh, meanwhile, is already on 23 and still isn’t close to Diaz’s 36 for Bayern Munich.

Simply put, the Reds have not replaced Diaz’s direct ability with the ball which progresses play and maintains possession. Take that away and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ability to progress play with his passing range and Liverpool’s struggles begin to make sense.

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Described as “exciting” by scout Jacek Kulig, Minteh represents the type of player that Michael Edwards built his reputation on signing and should do so once again in 2026.

How Arne Slot has already replaced Salah

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have been put on high alert after 16-year-old Hertha Berlin sensation Kennet Eichhorn's release clause was revealed. Eichhorn has created history in Germany after establishing himself in the first team and is expected to be on the radar of Europe's elite next summer.

• Eichhorn has already created history in Germany

  After an impressive pre-season, Eichhorn has made rapid strides at Hertha. Having signed his first professional contract just weeks before turning 16, he made his professional debut on the second matchday of the 2. Bundesliga, Germany's second division, coming on as a substitute against Karlsruhe. In the process, he became the youngest player ever in the history of the league, aged just 16 years and 14 days. Just over a month later, he created further history, becoming the youngest player to ever start a game in 2. Bundesliga after being named in the XI for the match against Hannover. Having been with Hertha's youth academy since his Under-9 days, Eichhorn is also the youngest professional in the club's entire history. 

  While Eichhorn’s talent is undeniable, head coach Stefan Leitl was forced to turn to the teenage prodigy after his squad – particularly the midfield – had been ravaged by injuries for months. However, as things stand, Eichhorn is the only midfielder with a guaranteed role in the starting XI, with the rest of the squad fighting for their spots. "We're happy that everyone is available again. We'll decide tomorrow after the final training session. Let's put it this way: who will play alongside Kennet Eichhorn in midfield?" said Leitl last month. The Bernau bei Berlin-born midfielder has already started in eight of the 10 games he has featured in this season. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Eichhorn on the radar of Europe's elite as release clause is revealed

  His performances have not gone unnoticed, despite spending just over three months with Hertha's senior squad. Numerous reports have already mentioned about the interest from some of Bundesliga's biggest clubs such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. Not too long ago, representatives from Bayern, Dortmund and Leipzig – including sporting director Marcel Schafer and sporting co-ordinator Daniel Baier – were in attendance for one of Hertha's games. All three clubs are eager to sign him as early as next summer, with Leipzig showing the strongest interest.

  "It's an unprecedented market," an insider revealed to , with Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal, La Liga rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain keeping a keen eye on Eichhorn's development. 

  According to , Eichhorn's contract – which runs until 2029 – has a release clause which will undoubtedly tempt Europe's biggest clubs. Per the report, said release clause will come into effect next summer, with the exact amount dependent on several factors. The upper range is believed to be around €10–12 million (£9-11m/$12-$14m) – a figure applicable, for instance, to clubs competing in the Champions League. The final valuation will vary based on whether Hertha earn a promotion to the Bundesliga, the destination country, and the level of competition the buying club participates in.

  For now, Eichhorn’s camp remains relaxed about his future. Their priority is ensuring the youngster continues to receive regular playing time to aid his development. No negotiations are currently underway with any club, though discussions are expected to take place next summer.

• Felix Kroos urges Eichhorn to stay at Hertha BSC

  Eichhorn's performances and his style of play have drawn early comparisons to Germany and Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos, whom he idolises. Standing at 1.86m, he operates deeper in the midfield with an exceptional passing range and an ability to orchestrate the tempo. His physique also allows him to be a physically imposing midfielder capable of breaking plays. 

  Toni Kroos' brother Felix, who has played in the Bundesliga, recently urged Eichhorn to not rush into any decisions regarding his future. “The way Eichhorn plays is remarkable. He radiates calm, gains valuable experience, and is allowed to make mistakes," he said. "He has the quality, yet he will sometimes sit out. You have to give such a young player a break because it’s a lot for the mind.

  “That’s the beauty of football: there isn’t one right path, no magic formula. Still, Eichhorn, at 16, is a special case and should remain in his familiar environment. That’s what brought him to where he is now. A move to Bayern or Dortmund in the next two to four years would be too early. I hope he develops at Hertha for a few more years. Ultimately, you can’t plan anything in football.

  “If it goes well and Eichhorn stays another two or three years, those €6 million could become €60 million. That would be even better for the books in Berlin. And with the sums circulating today, six million is too little anyway.”

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  What next for Eichhorn?

  After accumulating five yellow cards, Eichhorn will sit out of Hertha's next game against Eintracht Braunschweig on November 21 due to suspension. Die Alte Dame are currently in eighth position with 20 points from 12 games.

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