“It’s true” – Falk confirms Man Utd & Man City are dueling for the ‘next Toni Kroos’

Michael Carrick gestures from the touchline at Old Trafford. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) Manchester United have some company in the race for Hertha Berlin wonderkid Kennet Eichhorn, including their crosstown rivals Manchester City.The 16-year-old is considered one of the most exciting talents around Europe, and has already earned comparisons to Germany and Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYWhile Man Utd’s youth ranks are already brimming with talented teenagers like JJ Gabriel, Kai Rooney, and Jim Thwaites, the club directors are always on the lookout for rising starlets.Man City challenge Man United for Kennet EichhornAs reported last month, United are involved in the race for Eichhorn, alongside other top European clubs, mainly Arsenal and Bayern Munich.Reputable German journalist Christian Falk, who was the one who reported the original, has now added another big suitor to the list, confirming that Man City have indeed joined the fray.“It is true: Manchester City have entered the race for Kennet Eichhorn,” wrote Falk in his latest column for CF Bayern Insider.“This information came from Fabrizio Romano, and I can confirm it; Manchester City are concretely interested. There has been some contact in Germany where they’ve made it clear they want to talk about this player.“As we’ve previously reported, Manchester United and Arsenal are also interested in Eichhorn. So, you see, he’s a very big talent. The midfielder is just 16 years old and playing in the Bundesliga 2. But Bayern Munich also want this player,” added the Bundesliga expert.“Normally, they would be happy to see him stay and improve at Hertha Berlin. However, they also know that if a Premier League club succeeds in bringing him to England, it can be really hard to bring these talents back to Germany.”What would be Man Utd’s plan for Eichhorn’s developmentDespite his tender age, Eichhorn has already cemented himself as a regular feature for Hertha Berlin’s first team, making 15 appearances for the German capital side. Eichhorn’s Stats in 25/26 Appearances Minutes Goals Assists Bundesliga 2 13 862′ 0 0 German Cup 2 161′ 0 1 Total 15 1,023′ 0 1 The club currently sits 6th in the Bundesliga 2 table, so it remains to be seen if the teenager can help them secure a promotion to the top flight by the end of the season.The German league, whether the first or the second tier, could be the ideal environment for the Berlin native to develop his game.Therefore, even if Man Utd or any other Premier League club manage to secure Eichhorn’s services, perhaps keeping him at Hertha on loan would be the best solution.After all, the young man is likely too green to carve himself some space in the senior squad of a top Premier League club, while adding him to the youth ranks would arguably be a step back in his development, since he’s currently involved with Hertha’s first team.