Arsenal, Liverpool among clubs interested in Bayern's Kimmich

Bayern Munich is reportedly considering selling Joshua Kimmich this summer. The highly rated and versatile midfielder/defender has been a mainstay with the club since joining back in 2015. Able to play as either a defensive midfielder or right back, Kimmich is widely seen as one of the top players in either position.

Nevertheless, negotiations regarding a new contract between Bayern and the star have fizzled out in recent months. The Germany international’s current contract is set to expire in June of 2025. Assuming a new deal does not get ironed out soon, the reigning Bundesliga champions will likely be forced to sell Kimmich this summer. This would ensure Bayern receives a transfer fee for the player, rather than watch him walk away next year.

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg announced on Monday that Kimmich is also open to a move abroad as well. The versatile star is apparently “considering his options” in the transfer market.

Arsenal, Liverpool monitoring Kimmich situation

Plettenberg also revealed that five specific clubs are interested in potentially signing Kimmich this summer. This list includes Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, and Real Madrid. Unsurprisingly, the German star is attracting attention from some of the top teams in all of Europe.

Kimmich has collected 20 significant trophies since arriving at Bayern, which includes each of the last eight Bundesliga titles. He has earned 82 caps for the Germany national team as well. However, recent rifts with the club’s coaching staff have made Kimmich hesitate on a new contract extension.

Bild reported in February that the midfielder argued with assistant coach Zsolt Low after being substituted in the 70th minute of the match against Bochum. The spat reportedly spilled into the tunnel and dressing room as well. Both player and coach were seen yelling at each other after the 3-2 loss, their third defeat in a row.

Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel discussed the incident after the game. He opted to remain tight-lipped on the issue. “I know what was going on. This is not for the public,” stated Tuchel. “We are in a football locker room. This is a pretty normal occurrence if kept within limits. And it stayed within limits.”

Massive current contract could be a hurdle for some clubs

All five of the aforementioned teams would seemingly be solid destinations for Kimmich. Nevertheless, some may be better fits than others. For instance, Arsenal could very well have a major hole to fill if they are to sell Thomas Partey this summer. The Ghana international has frequent injury issues and only has one year remaining on his deal. The Gunners will be almost certain to target a defensive midfielder this summer.

Liverpool could also possibly use Kimmich in the middle of the pitch as well. The Reds currently have Wataru Endo in this role. Despite Endo’s fine form of late, Kimmich is an upgrade at the position. Real Madrid is also losing Luka Modric and possibly Toni Kroos this summer. This would open the door for additional arrivals in central midfield.

One potential issue for some of these teams is Kimmich’s current contract at Bayern. The German is reportedly raking in over $400,000 per week with the Bundesliga side. Arsenal and Liverpool do not have a single player on their teams that make this amount. The remaining trio of clubs interested in the German, however, all do.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.