Bayern Munich star ‘not active’ in contract talks amid Real Madrid, Man City links
Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich has once again refused to be drawn on his long-term future amid links to the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Kimmich, 29, arrived at the German giants from RB Leipzig in 2015 has become a crucial member of their squad, but he has just one year remaining on his contract and has so far not seen a deal brokered for him to continue at the Allianz Arena.
Kimmich’s Bayern future unclear
Last season was a disappointing one for Bayern. They missed out on the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012, and ended the campaign in third behind both champions Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart. They ended the season without silverware after missing out on the German Cup and being knocked out of the Champions League by Madrid.
Thomas Tuchel was announced to be leaving midway through the last campaign, but Bayern struggled to find a replacement. Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen’s mastermind and ex-Bayern midfielder, announced he was staying at the BayArena, and talks with Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann over a return didn’t develop.
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Burnley boss Vincent Kompany eventually arrived, but he has a huge job on his hands to get Bayern back on track. Kimmich’s ongoing contract situation will not help him, but the player himself is not concerned and currently focussing on Euro 2024 with the hosts Germany.
“The situation is absolutely clear: I have a contract with FC Bayern until 2025, so it’s not mainly up to me to be active right now”.
“My focus is solely on the European Championship, and after that there will be a conversation”, he told Suddeutsche Zeitung.
Madrid’s interest in Kimmich is long-standing and they’ve been very proactive in signing players who are out of contract. The biggest example is this summer, when Kylian Mbappe finally announced his move to the Santiago Bernabeu after the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract. Antonio Rudiger, Kimmich’s international teammate, joined from Chelsea in 2022.
As for Man City, it had been previously reported that Kimmich had agreed a deal to join Rodri in their midfield. He worked with Pep Guardiola at Bayern, and even though his contract is expiring too, potentially that deal is worth watching over the next few months.
Kimmich can also play at right-back and could provide another option as cover for Kyle Walker, who himself was heavily linked with Bayern last summer.
