Manchester City 'ahead of Liverpool, Barcelona in race for Joshua Kimmich'

Manchester City are reportedly ahead of both Liverpool and Barcelona in the race to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich during this summer's transfer window.

The 29-year-old has again been an important player for Bayern during the 2023-24 campaign, making 29 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and registering six assists in the process.

However, the Germany international only has a contract at Allianz Arena until the summer of 2025, and there is currently widespread speculation surrounding his future.

Kimmich is said to be looking for a fresh challenge at this stage of his career, and a move to the Premier League is believed to appeal to the midfielder.

Liverpool and Barcelona are two of the clubs to be heavily linked with the German, but journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Man City are currently in the driving seat when it comes to a possible deal.

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"Arguably the most concerning potential exit for Bayern is Joshua Kimmich, who has endured a tough season and is heading into the final year of his contract," Jacobs told CaughtOffside.

"Bayern's new director of sport, Max Eberl, will hold talks with the player. Kimmich is open to moving to the Premier League. Manchester City are exploring a move for him and believe he could gel well with Rodri.

"Liverpool have also been linked but there's nothing advanced there to date. Barcelona are another club long-linked with Kimmich.

"Bayern don't want to lose Kimmich but with his contract expiring in 2025 they may be forced to put him up for sale if fresh terms aren't agreed."

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Bayern are allegedly not prepared to run the risk of losing Kimmich on a free transfer next year, so an exit in the upcoming market is likely if a new deal cannot be agreed.

The midfielder has scored once and provided three assists in 18 Bundesliga appearances this season, while he has two assists in eight outings in the Champions League.

Kimmich made the move to Allianz Arena from RB Leipzig in 2015, and he has represented his current side on 376 occasions in all competitions, scoring 41 goals and registering 100 assists in the process.

The German has won 20 trophies during his time at Bayern, including eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League, and Thomas Tuchel's side are chasing more silverware this season.

The Munich giants have booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but they have ground to make up in the Bundesliga, currently sitting second in the table, 10 points behind the leaders Bayer Leverkusen.