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| Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg match between FC Bayern München and Arsenal FC at Allianz Arena on April 17, 2024 in Munich, Germany. |
Joshua Kimmich has rejected an offer from FC Barcelona to join the Catalans this summer according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
Kimmich was among Xavi Hernandez's main transfer targets last year and seen as the perfect successor to his former captain Sergio Busquets after he left Camp Nou to reunite with Lionel Messi at Inter Milan following a 2022/2023 La Liga title win.
As it turned out, however, Barca couldn't afford an approach for the German or Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi, and Xavi instead had to settle for a cut-rate Oriol Romeu who cost a few million dollars from Girona.
La Masia product Romeu initially impressed as a pivot, but then fell down the pecking order thanks to injuries and poor performances which clearly affected his confidence.
While Xavi said he would step down on June 30 in early 2024, he went back on that decision last month after agreeing to see out his contract until the same date next year.
Mundo Deportivo reported that the legendary midfielder demanded Kimmich and other stars such as Bernardo Silva as a prerequisite for staying.
Yet in the end, publicly complaining about Barca's financial restrictions and how they hamstring the club in being able to compete with bitter rivals Real Madrid - who have snatched the La Liga and Super Cup titles back from the Blaugrana - proved to be his downfall.
Catalan outlet 3Cat reported that Xavi wanting to axe players such as Robert Lewandowski and Romeu also proved a source of conflict between the manager and the board, but whether that is accurate or not, Xavi now looks set to be replaced by Hansi Flick.
Kimmich remains a target for Barca whoever is in charge, but him landing in Catalonia now would mean a reunion with his former Bayern boss under whom he won the treble in 2019/2020.
According to SPORT, however, negotiations with Kimmich aren't plain sailing despite being "advanced".
They are reportedly at a standstill because of "the economic disagreement between the offer presented by FC Barcelona and the German player's economic wishes", which simply means that Barca hasn't tabled a sum high enough to tempt him into leaving Bayern, where his contract expires on June 30, 2025.
Differing anonymous sources of SPORT's say that Kimmich currently takes home around $21.1 million (€19.5 million) a year, which will be difficult for Barca to raise.
Meanwhile, Barca also has to find $32.5 million (€30 million) to pay Robert Lewandowski, who will overtake Frenkie de Jong as the squad's highest earner next term.
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