- Kimmich enters final year of Bayern deal
- Barcelona eager to sign Germany player
- Has rejected chance to reunite with Flick
WHAT HAPPENED?
Spanish outlet SPORT claims that the money offered by the Spanish giants has failed to meet Kimmich’s expectations. The German international currently earns around £17 million ($21m)-per year, which Barcelona cannot offer him. The Catalan-based club will be paying Robert Lewandowski around £25m ($33m) next season, which limits the amount they can spend on other areas within the squad.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kimmich, 29, is approaching the final year of his contract at Bayern Munich and is regularly linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena. Flick, who worked with Kimmich at both Bayern and in the German national team, will reportedly be announced as Xavi’s successor in the coming days and is eager to make Kimmich his first signing. However, the financial restrictions have caused negotiations to fall through currently.
WHAT KIMMICH SAID
Asked about his future last month, Kimmich said: “I want to talk to Bayern. And when I do that, I won’t go out and talk to the press about it.”
He also commented on the reported interest from Barcelona, adding: “At the moment, I’m not thinking about this. As I already said, I will speak to Bayern first. But of course, Barcelona and Real Madrid are amazing clubs with an amazing history.”
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WHAT NEXT FOR KIMMICH?
The 2023-24 season has come to a disappointing end for Kimmich and his Bayern team-mates, after finishing fourth in the Bundesliga and crashing out of the Champions League in the semi-finals to Real Madrid. The versatile midfielder will now shift his focus to Euro 2024 with Germany.
