On Tuesday, Stuttgarter Zeitung dropped the Joshua Kimmich bomb. It was claimed Kimmich doesn’t see his future at Bayern Munich, doesn’t feel the confidence of Carlo Ancelotti, and is looking to say goodbye.
Manchester City, because of the Pep Guardiola connection, and RB Leipzig, because Kimmich used to play there, were presented as the possible destinations.
Within hours Bayern Munich had reacted furiously, denying everything and saying legal action was being launched against Stuttgarter Zeitung. The newspaper still have the article available online, so haven’t capitulated to the anger of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and co.
RB Leipzig have also responded. The club’s sporting director Ralf Rangnick is quoted by Bild as saying: “It’s financially unfeasible. And it would not be the next logical career step.”
That’s RB putting themselves out of the picture. Unsurprisingly, there’s no word from Manchester City.
Kimmich turned 22 years of age earlier this week, and his contract at Bayern Munich lasts until 2020. If, just for the purposes of this train of thought, it’s assumed the footballer really does have a problem with Carlo Ancelotti, that may not be the issue many would assume.
Bayern could quite easily take a club level decision that Kimmich is long term, and the situation will just have to struggle on under Ancelotti.
Whilst Bayern’s reaction may not necessarily mean Stuttgarter Zeitung’s information is wrong, that RB have so publicly dismissed themselves as a destination doesn’t exactly sure it up.
It’s not the first time a suggestion of Kimmich being impatient has appeared in the German media, and it’s not the first time Manchester City have been linked.
Guardiola seeing the potential deal positively would be no surprise, but it would be a surprise if the manager was prepared for a very public, and potentially very nasty, battle with his former club for the player.
The only way Manchester City come out of this with Kimmich is if the player starts (or has already started) pushing the idea of his unhappiness, and makes that very clear to Bayern, who then, disgusted at the development, want him out before his mindset infects anyone else.
