Barcelona are in the market for a new pivot, although currently, it’s projected to be a low-cost operation. Club bosses are determined to spend big on Nico Williams, meaning that a midfielder signing would be relatively – this rules of Joshua Kimmich’s chances of heading to Catalonia this summer.
Sport have reported that Kimmich is no longer an option for Barcelona for this summer’s transfer window. Bayern Munich are demanding €50m for an immediate sale, and coupled with the player’s high wage demands, the decision has been made to remove the German midfielder from consideration.
Barcelona will not go for Kimmich this summer. He won't come unless it's on a free deal next year. @sport
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 17, 2024
Barcelona officials have already notified Kimmich that they will not try to sign him this summer, although they are willing to make an effort to pursue him in 2025 if he does not sign a new contract with Bayern before his current deal expires, which is at the end of the upcoming season.
It makes complete sense for Barcelona to shelf the Kimmich operation for the time being. They simply cannot afford it right now, and if they can sign him as a free agent next summer, it would be a spectacular piece of business. For that to happen, they’d need to rely on him not leaving Bayern before the end of the summer, and also rejecting any new contract offers.
This management strategy all depends on how badly Kimmich wants to wear the Azul y Grana. That desire could be enhanced or extinguished based on how well Flick and Barca play this coming year as well all of the current players and new signees are treated by that same management. The relatively recent, disgusting treatment of Ousmane Dembélé comes to mind.