Pep Guardiola wants reunion with Bayern Munich star as Manchester City look to bolster the squad by adding Barcelona target - Reports
Pep Guardiola wants to reunite with Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich at Manchester City, according to TeamTALK. According to the report, the Cityzens are confident that the German midfielder will opt to join them next year.
Guardiola has previously coached Kimmich during his stint at Bayern Munich between 2013 and 2016. The Spanish coach reportedly views the 28-year-old as an ideal addition to his side. This casts more doubts over the future of Kalvin Phillips as a Manchester City player.
Phillips joined City from Leeds United in the summer of 2022 but has struggled for playing time. Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that the English midfielder will make a decision in November or December regarding his future.
Kimmich is unsettled at Bayern Munich amid Manchester City interest
Kimmich has been a vital cog in Bayern Munich's system for several years now. However, his current contract with the Bavarians expires in the summer of 2025. As per the report, Kimmich is willing to seek a move away from Bayern.
If a new contract is not signed, the Bundesliga giants will be forced to cash in on Kimmich next summer. The versatile Germany international can play in a variety of positions in midfield. He can play as a holding midfielder or as a deep-lying playmaker or in a box-to-box role.
Kimmich being unsettled at Bayern reportedly has much to do with his equation with the Bavarians' current head coach Thomas Tuchel. Bild reported in August that Tuchel wants a more dynamic player in the holding midfield position and considers Kimmich as more of a 'number eight'.
Tuchel reportedly believes that the 28-year-old is too slow to play at the base of midfield. However, Kimmich reportedly believes that he plays best as a deep-lying playmaker.
Despite these claims, Kimmich has started all of Bayern Munich's matches across the Bundesliga and the Champions League. He has provided four assists so far this season.
According to a report on TZ in August, Bayern were reportedly set to open contract talks with Kimmich in autumn. With several top European clubs keeping tabs on Kimmich, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.