Sporting director Max Eberl has attracted attention with statements about Joshua Kimmich. A future summit with the national player should bring clarity.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Bayern's sporting director makes it clear in an interview that Joshua Kimmich is not guaranteed a regular place and announces: "We have agreed that we will talk to each other after his vacation."
- As Kimmich's contract expires next summer, it is conceivable that Bayern will let the long-standing top performer leave this summer.
- Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Liverpool FC and the two London clubs Arsenal and Chelsea are considered possible suitors.
The message from Bayern sporting director Max Eberl to Joshua Kimmich was clear: he will only get a regular place at the German record champions if he performs well. The international was probably not caught off guard, as the strong man at FC Bayern Munich also said in an interview with "Welt am Sonntag": "We have agreed that we will talk to each other after his vacation." Eberl's statements regarding Kimmich leave plenty of room for speculation.
In a ZDF documentary in which Kimmich looked back on the coronavirus era, he complained that there was hardly any public support for him from the club. Kimmich had initially refused to be vaccinated. He had felt "left alone" by the club, said Kimmich. "That was the first downturn, I realized how the club had reacted and I was accordingly disappointed and also disappointed." Kimmich had recently emphasized that the statements, which were a good two years old, referred to the former bosses around Oliver Kahn.
The Kimmich position on the football pitch
Kimmich impressed as a right-back at the European Championships - he fitted in with national coach Julian Nagelsmann without a murmur. However, the 29-year-old says he sees himself more in midfield on the six. However, Munich have brought in the Portuguese Joao Palhinha for this position.
In addition to Palhinha, Aleksandar Pavlovic (20), Leon Goretzka (29) and Konrad Laimer (27) are also candidates for the first eleven. What is coach Vincent Kompany (38) doing? Is he relying on Kimmich? How and where does he use him? "Joshua is a very good player, but the general rule is that professional football is a competitive sport - we can't say to any player per se: Hey, you're the one to play... I'm just saying what applies to everyone. We have exciting players in all positions and therefore many alternatives," said Eberl. After years as a top performer, Kimmich could lose his regular place at FC Bayern.
Eberl said that new coach Kompany wanted to get an overview first. "There is no question that Joshua has made a great contribution to FC Bayern. Nevertheless, everyone at FC Bayern must accept the battle for the starting berth," said the sporting director.
What will the future summit bring after Kimmich's vacation?
Because Bayern do not want to let top players' contracts expire and could then lose them on a free transfer, it is conceivable that they could offload Kimmich this summer if he does not extend his contract. Real Madrid, FC Barcelona with former coach Hansi Flick, Liverpool FC and the two London clubs Arsenal and Chelsea are considered possible targets.
Bayern have already had to let a top performer go to Real Madrid without paying a transfer fee in the form of David Alaba - that should not happen in the case of Kimmich. It could therefore be that Eberl has calculated his statements.
