The winter break is going to be pivotal for Bayern Munich as the club chiefs look to sort out the long-term futures of several key players. Max Eberl and Christoph Freund will negotiate with players who have less than six months left on their contracts. Jamal Musiala is an exception since the German forward has 18 months left on the current deal, but Die Roten want to reward him with a new deal.
Along with Musiala, Bayern consider the contract extension of Joshua Kimmich as a top priority during the winter break. The German midfielder has been a consistent performer for Die Roten this season. He is yet to miss a minute of Bundesliga action this campaign.
Bayern endured a strained relationship with Kimmich last season. The 29-year-old bemoaned about the lack of support from Die Roten. Meanwhile, the record Bundesliga champions were open to selling Kimmich in the summer. Paris Saint-Germain had enquired about a deal to sign the German midfielder.
In the last six months, things have improved between Bayern and Kimmich. The Bavarian club considers him part of their leadership group in the long run, with few club officials backing him to become the next captain of the first team. However, Die Roten have not found a breakthrough in contract talks.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern have asked Kimmich to make a decision in January one way or the other. They don’t want the German midfielder to take a few more months to decide about his long-term future.
Kimmich will take winter break to assess his options
The German midfielder is also not interested in dragging his contract talks over the entire second half of the season. He has previously suggested that winter break will give him the desired time to reflect on all things and make a decision.
Kimmich has spoken positively about the prospect of staying in Bayern. However, nothing is done until he signs on the dotted line.
Manchester City and FC Barcelona are interested in signing Kimmich on a free transfer. He has already worked with the head coaches of both clubs- Hansi Flick and Pep Guardiola. There will be more clubs in line for him if he decides to leave Munich.
Considering his form and interest from big clubs in Europe, Kimmich has all the leverage to get the possible deal from Bayern. The Bavarian faithful will hope to see Kimmich spend the rest of his peak years in Munich. A quick resolution on contract stand-off will make sure there are no distractions for Kimmich going into the second half of the season.