Barcelona set to rival Liverpool in race to sign Bundesliga star: Reports
FC Barcelona are set to compete with Liverpool in a bid to secure the services of Joshua Kimmich, according to a report by Caughtoffside. Kimmich is currently in the final year of his contract at Bayern Munich, which would expire at the end of June, 2025.
However, despite ongoing negotiations with Bayern Munich's hierarchy, the German midfielder is yet to sign an extension. This suggests that he could be weighing up his options in the transfer market.
As reported by the aforementioned publication, Liverpool have shown their interest in securing his services. Kimmich could be seen as a decent replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is currently in Real Madrid's radar.
One of the reasons why Liverpool might be interested in Kimmich is tied to his versatility as he could feature at right-back as well as in the defensive midfield position. Hence, he satisfies Liverpool's current need.
On the other hand, Barcelona's interest in signing Kimmich could be tied to his quality and experience in the defensive midfield position. The Catalans have arguably been unable to sufficiently replace Sergio Busquets in the midfield.
Hence, Kimmich's potential signing could be beneficial to Barcelona, given his versatility and deep playing ability in the midfield.
There's a need to likewise highlight that Kimmich's attacking proficiency could also stand to be beneficial for Barcelona in attack. This is based on the idea that he has registered 106 assists and netted 42 goals in 399 appearances for Bayern Munich so far.
Hence, it can be stated that he would be a decent addition in Barcelona's dressing room if he's signed.
Would Szczesny be able to replace Ter Stegen as Barcelona's first-choice goalkeeper?
While Marc-Andre ter Stegen is currently injured, the Blaugrana recently announced the signing of Wojciech Szczesny.
When we try to access the Polish international as regards to his experience, it can be said that he's right up there. He has previously featured for Juventus, AS Roma and Arsenal.
At Juventus, which is his most recent club, Szczesny kept 103 clean sheets in 252 games. Hence, it can be said that his wealth of experience in goal would be pivotal for the Blaugrana, especially in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 campaign.
Hence, it remains to be seen if Szczesny would be able to keep the Blaugrana's defense compact.