LALIGA
Barcelona and Real Madrid on alert as report suggests Joshua Kimmich will leave Bayern Munich
Last summer, Barça were heavily linked with a move for the German midfielder, who is rumoured to be looking to leave Bavaria.
Reports in Germany claim Joshua Kimmich will not renew his contract with Bayern Munich when it expires, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City touted as possible suitors for one of the world’s best midfielders.
When does Kimmich’s Bayern contact expire?
The 28-year-old, who joined the Bavarian giants from Stuttgart in 2015, still has just under two years left on his deal, which runs until the end of June 2025. However, unless he chooses to further prolong his stay in Munich, Bayern may look to sell him next summer to avoid losing him for free further down the line.
Why does the midfielder want to leave?
According to German broadcaster Sport1, Kimmich is having serious doubts about future with his current employers, with the frequency with which they have changed coach in recent times reportedly one of his main concerns. Since Pep Guardiola left after a three-year spell in June 2016, Bayern have had six permanent managers, with the five before current boss Thomas Tuchel all lasting less than two years.
Barça blasted for Kimmich chase last summer
The report has linked the Germany international with Madrid and Guardiola’s City, while Barça were already interested in signing the midfielder last summer as they sought to replace Sergio Busquets. To such an extent, in fact, that Bayern president Herbert Heiner even blasted them for their open pursuit of his player: “I don’t understand why they [Barça] openly and offensively flirt with our player. Joshua Kimmich is an absolute cornerstone for us. He’s firmly in our plans for the future, for sure.”
Xavi Hernández’s admiration for Kimmich is no secret and the German would, in theory, be a significant upgrade on Oriol Romeu, the only holding midfielder currently on Barça’s roster. La Blaugrana managed to sign City’s Champions League-winning captain Ilkay Gündogan on a free transfer this past summer; could they get another German bargain before too much longer?