The Bayern contract problem that has Barcelona licking their lips
Tom Weber
- Updated: 27 Oct 2023 19:40 BST
- 4 min read
The Joshua Kimmich to Barcelona rumours always seemed far-fetched, but a deal may not be as impossible as first thought.
The Bayern and Germany star has been one of the best midfielders of the past decade and developed into a real leader for the perennial Bundesliga champions. Yet, the 28-year-old is one of several key Bayern players surrounded by contract uncertainty alongside the likes of Leroy Sane, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala.
The German is under contract until 2025 and Bayern are keen to extend his deal, but the talks are expected to be incredibly difficult. According to BILD, Kimmich will once again forgo using an agent when negotiations begin and he will demand a pay rise given that Bayern's wage structure underwent a radical shift over the summer.
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With the €100 million signing of Harry Kane, there is a new top dog in Munich and the English sharpshooter reportedly earns some €5m more than Kimmich, whom Bayern bosses are keen to make the club's long-term captain once veterans Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller call it quits. The German outlet asserts that Kimmich is asking for a salary more in line with Kane's - but this is an issue.
Barca to pounce?
Though still arguably Germany's best midfielder, Kimmich's performance levels have markedly dropped in recent times, and this hasn't gone unnoticed by the Bayern higher-ups. Against Galatasaray in the Champions League, for example, the 28-year-old gave away a penalty and later on was caught in possession, almost handing the Turkish giants another goal.
The matter of a contract extension is also made more complicated by his relationship with head coach Thomas Tuchel. Previously the go-to man for Bayern bosses as the link between the management and the squad, Tuchel does not share the same affinity for Kimmich and the relationship between the two is said to be frosty.
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All of this means that a new deal for the midfielder is anything but a foregone conclusion. Should the two sides fail to reach an agreement before the end of this season, Kimmich will be made available in the summer. Under no circumstances do Bayern want to lose him for nothing, so he could be had for a relatively affordable sum.
Barcelona are long-term admirers. Under normal circumstances, a deal would be tough to strike for the cash-strapped club, but if Bayern were to become desperate, a transfer could become a real possibility.
