Holding midfielder
Bayern Munich tried to add a number six to the squad last season. They were heavily linked with a move for Espanyol midfielder Marc Roca, but the transfer never materialized. Since the German club signed Benjamin Pavard from VfB Stuttgart, Niko Kovac decided to move Joshua Kimmich in this position.
Kimmich has excelled in this role and become a reliable midfielder for Die Roten. The German international is not a traditional tough-tackling number six. He is more like a holding midfielder, who uses clever positioning to stay a step ahead of the opponent on the pitch. Kimmich makes vital interceptions and then initiates the counterattacks for the team.
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Along with being efficient defensively, Kimmich’s wide range of passing helps Die Roten dictate the tempo of the game. He spots the runs from attacking players and finds them with pin-point long passes. Kimmich is surely going to be the first choice option for this role next season. The club is reportedly looking to add a right-back in summer so that Kimmich never has to play there.
Apart from Kimmich, Thiago Alcantara is also an option for the number six role. The Spaniard has played in this position frequently in the last couple of seasons. Adrian Fein is also set to return to Bavaria from his impressive loan spell at Hamburg. The German is reportedly going to be part of the first team, so he can be a very able understudy of Kimmich.