Lennart Karl: The rise of Bayern’s ‘special’ teenage talent who scored against Arsenal

Tawfik Khalil became aware of Karl’s progress two years ago when his teenage son, who was 15 like Karl, went to watch his friend play against a Bayern Under-17 team that contains the winger.

Bayern Munich correspondent Khalil told BBC Sport: “When my son came home he said, ‘Daddy, it’s unbelievable. This man, Lennart Karl, scored five goals.’”

“It was very clear that this child had something really special.”

Last season, Karl scored 34 goals and provided 11 assists in 31 appearances for Bayern and the Germany Under-17s, earning him a surprise call-up to coach Vincent Kompany’s squad for the Club World Cup.

Such a rough finish might have been expected.

In 2018, 10-year-old Karl went viral for an audacious goal he scored while playing for Eintracht Frankfurt’s U11 team in a gym.

With his back to goal, Karl controlled a volley with his back heel before turning and curling a left-footed shot into the top corner.

Karl won the Eintracht Academy Goal of the Year award and was presented with a personalized pair of Nike boots for a Bundesliga match by then club president Peter Fischer and then sporting director Fredi Bobic.

Born 45 minutes from Frankfurt am Main in the town of Framersbach in northwest Bavaria, Karl joined the Eintracht academy in 2017 from his first club, Viktoria Aschaffenburg.

Eintracht saw huge potential in Karl, but so did Bayern.

There remains a sore spot at Eintracht, after relations between Karl’s parents and the club took a turn. He briefly returned to Aschaffenburg before Bayern signed him as a 14-year-old in 2022.

According to Sport Bild, externalThe most successful German club raised the nominal compensation payable to the young player to 35 thousand euros, divided between the two former teams.

“We tried everything and would have done anything for him,” Andreas Müller, former head of the Eintracht academy, told Merkur earlier this year., external.

“But Bayern have a very special appeal, and we had no chance.”

Karl’s younger brother, Vincent, still plays in the youth teams at Eintracht.

Fast forward to June 2025, Karl made his first-team debut for Bayern Munich in a 10-0 win over Auckland City in the Club World Cup in the United States.

Following reports of interest from Real Madrid and Ajax, Karl signed his first professional contract during the summer.

So far this season he has participated in 15 matches, and his direct and bold playing style has received a lot of plaudits and comparisons to legends of the game.

“He plays with Messi’s style, because his center of gravity is very low, which means he can make very fast turns,” Khalil said of the 5ft 6in Karl.

“He uses his center of gravity to make quick turns and cuts, like an NFL running back. Sometimes he does it a lot, but he’s still young.”

There are similarities with former Bayern striker Arjen Robben too. Like Robben, defenders know that Karl wants to cut in from the right wing and shoot with his left foot.

Like Robben, defenders find it very difficult to stop him.

“Even among non-Bayern fans, there is a real appreciation for Karl’s energy and technical quality,” German football journalist Mark Lovell told BBC Sport.

He added: “He plays with freedom and confidence, and it is refreshing to see him at a club where the pressure is so intense.”