According to a report from Sport Bild journalists Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich is listening to offers. In addition, the Germany international reportedly wants assurances that the club will make a concerted effort to improve the team before he makes a final decision on signing a contract extension:
Bayern are still Joshua Kimmich’s first point of contact, even though he’s allowed to speak to other clubs from January 1st. The player did not want to respond to any calls from other clubs before, but now he’s listening to offers. Last Wednesday, there was a new round of negotiations between Kimmich – who is his own agent – Max Eberl and Christoph Freund at Säbener Straße. Bayern’s wish was to have clarity from the player between early to mid January.
However, Kimmich informed Eberl and Freund that his decision was not made yet. During the negotiations, Kimmich emphasized that it’s very important to him for Bayern to have a squad capable of winning the Champions League in the coming years and that’s a decisive factor to him. Other interesting points to him: which category of players the club will sign in the future? will Bayern make serious attempts to sign Florian Wirtz, and do they have a chance of signing him?
That might seem shocking to some, but Kimmich is not unhappy with how things are going under Vincent Kompany. The 29-year-old likes the progress being made, but also understands that the loss of any key players during this cycle could greatly hamper Bayern Munich’s chances of being a serious contender in Europe:
Nevertheless, Kimmich is happy with how the squad is developing under Eberl and Freund. The signing of Michael Olise, in particular, impressed him. Another important point to him is the club’s ability to keep key players. In the past, Kimmich was the first to extend his contract and set the path for the rest. But this time, he wants to wait and see if the club will be able to renew with the likes of Musiala and Davies.
The most interesting part of the report was that Bayern Munich was — allegedly — ready to sell Kimmich for a paltry fee of €35 million last summer. Paris Saint-Germain was interested, but Kimmich did not want to leave. What seemed to irk Kimmich is that the club was even willing to listen to offers for him. After reportedly feeling a lack of support during the “Thomas Tuchel Era”, Kimmich must have felt disrespected, if true:
Last summer, Bayern were ready to sell Kimmich and had set an asking price of around €35m. PSG were very interested and made contact, but the player didn’t want to leave. The fact Bayern were willing to listen to offers didn’t go down well with the player and left its mark on him. Paris are interested again in a free transfer in the summer.
In addition, although Kimmich does not have an agent, he does have a network that explores options for him. Contact has been made with English clubs, including Liverpool. The Reds are actually considering a move. Barcelona are not in the race at the moment for financial reasons. But Real Madrid are an appealing destination for him.
Finally, if Kimmich ultimately decides to stay with Bayern Munich, agreeing on a salary should not be an issue for either side:
Regarding the topic of salary, it has not been clarified with Bayern yet – but that’s not expected to be a stumbling block. The most important thing for him is the perspective. Despite everything, Bayern remain optimistic that Kimmich will agree to an extension – but that could still take time.
Looking to get ready for Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim? Then why not do it with the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show? We’re talking each team’s form, Tom Bischof, injuries, and giving predictions on a lineup and the match. You can get the show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
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