"He was never the greatest" - Joshua Kimmich's comments on Barcelona legend resurface amid reports of move to Camp Nou
Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich once hailed Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez, calling the Spaniard his role model.
Kimmich's comments about Xavi have resurfaced after the German has been linked with a move to Barca this summer. While Bayern Munich remain reluctant to sell him, the Calatans are said to be persistent in their pursuit of the German.
Speaking to SportBild in 2021, Kimmich praised Xavi and explained why he looked up to the 43-year-old. He said:
"My role model was always Xavi Hernandez from Barcelona. He was never the greatest, but had an eye for the game, passing, technique. He was always trying to put others in the limelight."
He added:
"That impressed me, that's what I want to orient myself towards. I met Xavi once at the training camp in Doha in 2019, that was a really cool moment!"
As a player, Xavi spent 18 seasons at Barcelona, making 782 appearances across competitions, scoring 87 goals. In November 2021, he returned to the club as their manager, replacing Dutchman Ronald Koeman. This season, he has led the club to the La Liga title, their first since 2018-19.
Kimmich, on the other hand, joined Bayern from RB Leipzig in 2015 for €8.5 million. He has since established himself as one of the team's stars, helping them lift 19 trophies so far, including seven Bundesliga titles.
Barcelona looking to offer Ansu Fati to help facilitate Joshua Kimmich transfer: Reports
Barcelona are looking to use Ansu Fati in their bid to convince Bayern Munich to part ways with Joshua Kimmich.
The Catalan giants are said to be interested in signing Kimmich this summer as manager Xavi Hernandez sees the 76-cap Germany international as the ideal player in the midfield. Mundo Deportivo have reported that Barca could convince Bayern Munich to part with Kimmich by using youngster Fati in a player+cash swap move.
Kimmich has stated that he is open to the idea of leaving his homeland and experiencing the football culture abroad. Talking about the possibility of playing outside Germany, he told So Foot:
"That would be an interesting challenge. I don't know what will happen in a few years, we'll see. I have a very good coach who is an advocate of attractive football. I have a lot of fun here, but somewhere in my head there is always this professional and personal challenge of one day reaching new horizons to discover."