Arsenal-related According to reports, Bayern Munich has given Joshua Kimmich a deadline to determine whether he wants to sign a new contract.
According to reports on Friday, the Gunners had already begun negotiations with the 30-year-old’sentourageover a free transfer after expressing a firm interest in signing him.
Bayern is unable to stop Kimmich from starting talks with foreign teams about a pre-contract agreement because he entered the last six months of his contract at the Allianz Arena in January.
The Germany international was reportedly on the verge of signing a three-year contract extension with Bayern Munich through 2028 at one point, but the Bundesliga leaders withdrew their offer because the player hesitated.
The 30-year-old reportedly reconsidered signing a contract after receiving offers from two Premier League teams and an international team, but Bayern is unwilling to wait much longer.
Bild claims that Bayern has given Kimmich until next Wednesday, when they play Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16, to come forward and express his interest in signing a new contract.
Bayern will reportedly only approve an extension for the same amount of money or less than what he is currently on, so the former Stuttgart player shouldn’t expect a pay increase on any new terms after his initial hesitancy.
According to the report, Kimmich would have been happy to stay on his current salary, but Bayern managers were unhappy with his demands for a signing bonus, which is another reason they decided to fire him.
With one goal and ten assists from 36 games across all competitions this season, Kimmich has maintained his position as a key member of the Bavarians’ lineup despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.
Since joining the Bundesliga leaders in 2015, the 30-year-old has scored 43 goals and provided 114 assists in 426 games; however, he was sidelined for Friday’s 3-1 victory over Stuttgart because of a tendon injury.
As Mikel Arteta looks for a low-cost deal for a player with trophy-winning experience who could replace two possible wantaway midfielders, Arsenal’s interest in Kimmich seems to be the most solid right now.
Both Jorginho and Thomas Partey are anticipated to leave when their contracts expire at the end of the current campaign, but the Gunners are reportedly moving forward with a £51 million deal for Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad.
Manchester City and Liverpool are rumored to be interested in the Germany international as a new right-back if their long-serving options depart, even though he would probably be used as a number six at Arsenal.
While Liverpool will look for a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold should he be enticed by Real Madrid, City is reportedly prioritizing a newcomer in that role as Kyle Walker gets ready to leave permanently.
If Alexander-Arnold decides to remain at Liverpool, Los Blancos may pursue Kimmich, though Barcelona has also reportedly expressed interest.