Bayern Munich: Joshua Kimmich could become summer target for Manchester City

Bayern Munich didn’t part ways with any of their key players during the winter transfer window. The Bavarian club reportedly had to reject inquiries from a few clubs for Joshua Kimmich. Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United were linked with the German midfielder. Bayern may receive a bid/inquiry for Kimmich from another state-backed club in the summer.

According to The Athletic (via iMiaSanMia), Joshua Kimmich is one of the midfield options Manchester City will explore in the summer. A few years ago, this deal would have been difficult to pull off for Manchester City since Kimmich was a key player for Bayern. He remains an important player for Die Roten, but his departure from Munich is reportedly no longer an unrealistic proposition.

Kimmich has endured a mixed campaign until now. The German midfielder has not been as consistent as he has been over the past few seasons. There has been a growing criticism in Germany over his performances for club and country.

Bayern are yet to open contract talks with Kimmich. He has entered the final 18 months of his current deal. There are strong murmurs in German media that Kimmich’s search for an agent does suggest that he could be on the move in the summer. Previously, Kimmich had negotiated his contract renewal at Die Roten.

Moreover, Thomas Tuchel publicly pushed for a defensive midfielder in the summer. Kimmich sees himself as a number six, so a new addition in this position will affect his playing time. The Bavarian club is expected to look for a holding midfielder in the summer, which certainly raises questions over Kimmich’s future.

The 28-year-old midfielder insisted that he is focussing on completing the campaign with Bayern, so a transfer in the winter window was out of the equation. PSG reportedly try to include Kimmich in a potential swap deal for Nordi Mukiele. The French defender was a top target for Bayern in January, but negotiations never concluded between both clubs.

Rekordmeister will hold talks with Kimmich in the coming months. The Bavarian club is reportedly planning to make tough decisions in the summer to replenish the squad. If there is no breakthrough in talks with Kimmich before the end of the season, his departure could be one of the big decisions for Bayern in the summer.

The German midfielder is currently concentrating on winning the Bundesliga and Champions League this season. He is currently nursing a shoulder injury. Kimmich and Bayern will hope that he is fit for the first leg of the round of 16 UCL clash against Lazio later this month.