It’s no secret that FC Barcelona has made Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich one of their top priorities in their search for a replacement for Sergio Busquets.
The Blaugrana were quite interested in the 28-year-old German player last summer, but the club’s dire financial circumstances prevented a transfer.
Although Oriol Romeu ultimately joined the Catalans, they are still very much interested in Kimmich and have him on their 2024 roster.
The midfielder’s contract with Bayern expires in2025, therefore if a new agreement is not reached between the two parties, Barça may be able to sign him the following summer.
PSG appears in the scene
But now that PSG appears to have entered the scene, Barcelona’s pursuit of Joshua Kimmich may face a new obstacle.
In fact, PSG and Bayern Munich are negotiating over a possible trade for Kimmich, which would require Nordi Mukiele to leave, according to Loic Tanzi of L’Equipe.
The Bundesliga winners, who are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements, are interested in signing PSG’s Mukiele this month.
According to the source, a loan deal with a €25 million buyout option that would last until the conclusion of the season is almost finalized.
In a player-plus-cash deal, PSG is currently attempting to persuade Bayern Munich to release Kimmich in return for Mukiele and a substantial transfer price.
Apart from Mukiele, it’s unclear if the operation is for this month or the summer, and it’s also unclear how much the Parisian powerhouses are willing to pay Bayern for Kimmich.
But, this development will undoubtedly raise some questions in the Barcelona camp because they will be unable to compete in the market against a team with the financial clout of PSG.
Barça is considering a number of pivots, including Wilfred Ndidi, Arthur Vermeeren, and Martin Zubimendi, in addition to Kimmich, whose market value is estimated at €75 million.