Since Sergio Busquets left in 2023, Barcelona have been keen to sign a top-level defensive midfielder. They could not afford one immediately, which led to Oriol Romeu being brought in from Girona – and in 2024 when he returned to Montilivi, no one was signed.
Wojciech Szczęsny: "Which player has surprised me the most? Cubarsi has been impressive for me. After watching him on TV, I expected him to be a modern type of elegant defender on the ball, but softer. When you see him live, he's actually not soft at all and makes very good…
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 10, 2024
If Barcelona do finally make their return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule before the opening of the 2025 transfer window(s), it could allow the position to finally be properly addressed. If that proves to be the case, Joshua Kimmich would surely be a leading candidate – not only because he has already played under Hansi Flick, but because he is projected to be a free agent at the end of the season.
Kimmich’s contract with Bayern Munich ends on the 30th of June. So far, negotiations have not been successful, although Bild (via CaughtOffside) do say that he is expected to pen a renewal at some stage this season.
Kimmich would be an excellent addition to Barcelona’s squad – more so than he would have been when Busquets left. Why? He’s not a natural number six, which was what Xavi Hernandez required in his system. Flick utilises a double pivot, which Kimmich is very comfortable playing in – he has done it for the Bavaria-based side, but also Germany.
It’s easy to say that Barcelona should go for Kimmich if he is available as a free agent, but would they really need him? Marc Casado is a stylistically-similar player, and he has proven himself to be undroppable since coming into the side at the start of the season. Furthermore, the Catalans already have a plethora of defensive midfield options, including Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Pedri and Marc Bernal. They also have exciting La Masia prospects, such as Pau Prim.
Barcelona’s financial woes will not be solved by next summer, so they would not be able to spend freely. They still desperately need to reduce their wage bill, and this is one result why a deal for Kimmich would be difficult – on top of this, there are other positions that would benefit more from a statement signing, such as right-back or striker.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how Barcelona approach the summer transfer window in 2025. Deco is already working on drawing up a shortlist, and free agent candidates like Kimmich are bound to feature. It would be fantastic business if he can be incorporated alongside other signings, but that looks unlikely to be a possibility at this stage.
