Barcelona will not launch the offensive to sign either Joshua Kimmich or Martin Zubimendi in the 2024 summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Joshua Kimmich or Martin Zubimendi will not join Barcelona in the 2024 summer transfer window. The reigning La Liga champions have ruled out the moves for their two top midfield targets. Instead, cost-effective alternatives like Wilfred Ndidi will jump to the top of their wishlist.
Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi: Barcelona’s top targets
Joshua Kimmich has been one of the best midfielders in the world since transforming from a right-back to a holding midfielder at Bayern Munich. A pivotal figure for the Bundesliga giants, the German international has turned out over 350 times while chipping in with 40 goals and 100 assists.
On the other hand, Martin Zubimendi is one of the best young midfielders in La Liga, having come leaps and bounds at Real Sociedad. The 24-year-old made his debut for La Real a few years ago and has become a mainstay in the middle of the park for his club. In addition, he is growing in stature on the international stage.
The two midfielders have featured atop Barcelona’s wishlist for several months. Recent reports claimed that Kimmich was the priority target for the Blaugrana, while Xavi Hernandez has been pushing the club to sign Zubimendi. But SPORT has suggested that Barcelona will not sign either player next year.
Barcelona Cannot Afford Joshua Kimmich, Martin Zubimendi
While securing Kimmich’s services would have been out of the question anyway due to his importance to Bayern Munich, Zubimendi has a release clause worth €60 million in his contract with Real Sociedad. So, Barcelona would not have been able to afford the Spanish midfielder’s valuation.
With that in mind, it is hardly surprising that the reigning La Liga champions have ruled out summer moves for Kimmich and Zubimendi. Instead, Barcelona will target cost-effective alternatives like Wilfred Ndidi.
The Leicester City midfielder has featured on Barcelona’s radar for some time. He is in the final year of his contract with the Midlands outfit and can join the Blaugrana on a Bosman move. So, it will be interesting to see if he becomes Barcelona’s top target next year.
