Eintracht Frankfurt have earned a sterling reputation for developing players from the promising bracket to top-class and selling them on for significant profit in recent years, particularly in attacking positions. The German club made around €208 million (£181m/$242m) by transferring Luka Jovic, Sebastien Haller and Randal Kolo Muani to AC Milan, West Ham and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, and boosted that total by another €170m (£148/$198) last season when two more talismanic performers caught the eye of Europe's elite.
Omar Marmoush was next through the exits in the January window as Manchester City snapped up the Egyptian forward for €75m (£65m/$87m) after seeing him register 24 goal involvements in 17 Bundesliga appearances for Eintracht in the first half of the 2024-25 campaign. Hugo Ekitike then followed Marmoush to the Premier League in the summer, with Liverpool investing €95m (£83m/$111m) in the towering Frenchman, who hit 22 goals across all competitions in his first full year at Deutsche Bank Park, having previously failed to make the grade at PSG.
Eintracht can count Willian Pacho as another huge success story, with PSG having prised the Ecuadorian defender away from Frankfurt in a €40m (£37m/$47m) deal in the summer of 2024. They have been better at finding bargains, creating superstars, and making huge money on them than any other club in Europe over the last six years or so.
Indeed, Marmoush and Kolo Muani were both initially signed on free transfers, and Eintracht only paid €16m for Ekitike. The question is: how on earth do they keep hitting the jackpot? According to Eintracht CEO Axel Hellmann, the answer is a simple but effective three-pronged formula.
“We have one of the best coaching teams in the Bundesliga,” Hellman said in a recent interview with . “That’s really important, because we sign young players and the process of educating them, which is what is making us famous at the moment, involves a lot. We are open with our strategy when we talk to the players and to other clubs. That’s the reason why we are well connected to other clubs, because they know we take that work seriously. We are an international club. We have the airport just around the corner. Frankfurt is an international city with 147 different nationalities. It doesn’t matter if you come from South America or Africa, you have your community here.”
In other words, the setup at Deutsche Bank Park is designed for any player to thrive, and Eintracht can promise swift career advancement with the help of an extensive contacts list, making them the ultimate stepping stone club for ambitious youngsters. On the eve of their Champions League clash with Premier League champions Liverpool, GOAL runs through the six players who could be next in line for dream transfers away from Eintracht in 2026 and beyond…
Getty ImagesCan Uzun
Can Uzun, who was born in Germany but chose to represent Turkey at international level because his parents are both from the bi-continental country, signed for Eintracht from Nurnberg for just €11m in July 2024, committing to a five-year contract. The teenage forward had to make do with a squad role in his debut season, but still registered eight goal involvements from 20 appearances, with only nine of those coming as a starter, and worked hard over the summer to show head coach Dino Toppmoller that he deserved a more regular role.
Toppmoller has granted Uzun his wish in the opening months of the 2025-26 campaign, and the 19-year-old hasn't let him down. Uzun became only the fourth teenager this century to score in five successive games in one of Europe's top five leagues, after Julian Brandt and Jadon Sancho for Borussia Dortmund (in 2015-16 and 2019-20, respectively) and Karim Benzema for Real Madrid (2007-08), and grabbed another goal in Eintracht's 5-1 thumping of Galatasaray on matchday one in the Champions League.
Uzun has drawn comparisons to Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala due to his finishing and passing skills, as well as his low centre of gravity when dribbling, while his ability to play in multiple attacking positions has quickly made him a huge asset for Eintracht. “Can is top-class technically and has enormous talent. If he keeps at it, does things well, stays fit, he has huge potential,” World Cup winner Mario Gotze has said of his young team-mate.
According to , several Premier League clubs are now tracking Uzun, with Eintracht set to demand another huge pay day, having already placed an €80m (£69m/$93m) price tag on his head.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportNathaniel Brown
Nathaniel Brown also signed for Eintracht from Nurnberg last year, but six months earlier than Uzun and for €7m less. He was loaned back to Nurnberg for the second half of the 2023-24 season and it took time for him to force his way into Toppmoller's plans after his eventual arrival at Deutsche Bank Park, but by the end of his maiden campaign he had become a nailed on starter and amassed 10 goal contributions.
The 22-year-old predominantly plays at left-back, but is versatile enough to play on the right, as a fully fledged winger or as an inverted midfielder, and boasts the pace and technical quality to make a difference at both ends of the pitch. Brown has continued to improve at a dramatic rate this season, catching the eye of Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann, who handed him his senior debut off the bench in a 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Luxembourg during the October international break.
The United States had been hoping to snap up Brown, given his status as a dual national, but he has now permanently pledged his allegiance to Germany. A spot in Nagelsmann's 2026 World Cup squad should now be the aim for Brown, who has seen his market value skyrocket to €60m (£52m/$69m) amid links to the likes of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Man City.
Getty Images SportKaua Santos
Brazilian goalkeeper Kaua Santos signed for Eintracht from Flamengo as a teenager in 2023 for a fee of just €1.6m, but had to play second fiddle to Kevin Trapp in his first two years at the club. He started to push harder for the No.1 slot at the back end of last season, only to suffer a cruciate knee ligament tear, which kept him out for the next four months.
Santos' resolve was stronger than ever, though, and he returned quicker than expected in Eintracht's fourth game of the new Bundesliga campaign to replace Michael Zetterer between the sticks, with Trapp having been sold to Paris FC in the summer window. The 22-year-old had also been the subject of a €30 million (£26m/$35m) offer from Manchester United before that, but Eintracht refused to sell after earmarking him as their new first-choice shot-stopper.
Unfortunately, there hasn't been much to celebrate for Santos or Eintracht since his reintegration. Toppmoller's side have only won one of their last five in all competitions, and Santos came under fire for his poor positioning when conceding a free-kick in a 2-2 draw against Freiburg on Sunday. He has to be careful that mistakes don't derail his career trajectory, but his potential is clear.
Santos is a ball-playing 'keeper in the same mould as compatriot and ex-Man City star Ederson, and has very quick reflexes for a big man. Described as "world-class" by German football legend Lothar Matthaus back in April, Santos has also been mooted as a target for Tottenham, and could easily become a hot property again if Eintracht rediscover some consistency.
Getty ImagesJean-Matteo Behoya
Eintracht should start picking up wins again sooner rather than later given the attacking quality at their disposal, with Jean-Matteo Behoya arguably the most dangerous weapon at Toppmoller's disposal. The Bundesliga side rejected a €70m (£61m/$82m) offer from the Saudi Pro League for the 20-year-old winger in the summer, and he is reportedly now attracting attention from Arsenal, which is a testament to his rapid rise to prominence in Frankfurt.
Signed for just €8m from French outfit Angers in January 2024, Behoya quickly became a wildcard option for Toppmoller with his blurring pace and dazzling dribbling. He even set a new Bundesliga speed record last term, clocking 23.09mph in a clash with Bochum, and is practically unstoppable in full flow.
This season, Behoya is being trusted with a more prominent role, with his standout display coming from the left flank on the Bundesliga's opening weekend against Werder Bremen. The France Under-21 international hit a stunning brace in a 4-1 victory, and won the Player of the Match award after registering a total of four shots and 19 sprints, along with a 76 per cent win rate from his duels.
Behoya is now developing a brilliant rapport with Uzun in the final third that may be the key to an Eintracht resurgence. If he can start delivering the goods in the final third week in, week out, €70m may soon be a fair price for the youngster, and Arsenal could well formalise their interest in 2026.