Barcelona and Real Madrid have reportedly fallen behind Manchester City in the race to sign Joshua Kimmich from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona, Manchester City, and Real Madrid are keen on signing Joshua Kimmich in the summer transfer window. But the two La Liga heavyweights have fallen behind in the race, with the Premier League champions becoming the front-runners to land the 29-year-old from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The Rise and Rise of Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich has been among the best right-backs and midfielders in the world since during his stint with Bayern Munich. The German international arrived at the Allianz Arena from VfB Stuttgart in July 2015 and has come leaps and bounds in the last nine years.
The 29-year-old was right-back in his early years at Bayern Munich. But Pep Guardiola envisioned the player as a midfielder, which he became after his departure. Kimmich has won every trophy with Die Roten, including clinching the treble. But he faces an uncertain future at the Bundesliga club amid a frustrating 2023/24 campaign. Such a situation has piqued the attention of top clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
A Man in Demand
Barcelona and Real Madrid often lock horns for mutual targets every summer. They recently went head-to-head in the race to sign Pablo Torre, with several other players featuring on their radar. Kimmich is reportedly the priority summer target for Barcelona, while Real Madrid will pursue him amid the advancing years of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
Joshua Kimmich can be a long-term holding midfield solution for Barcelona after Oriol Romeu failed to fill the void of Sergio Busquets. But the Blaugrana and Real Madrid are behind Manchester City in the race to sign the 29-year-old Bundesliga winner.
Pep Guardiola has been pushing Manchester City to secure Kimmich’s services this summer. The Citizens do not have an alternative to Rodri in the first-team squad. But the German international’s qualities will allow him to play alongside the Spaniard and be an ideal foil to Kevin De Bruyne.
So, it is hardly surprising that the Premier League champions have taken the lead in the race to sign Kimmich. Barcelona and Real Madrid now have a mountain to climb, and it will be interesting to see if they can beat Manchester City to the 29-year-old Bundesliga winner’s signature.
