Arsenal are interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich this summer, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg. The German international is currently away with his country at the European Championships.
The versatile 29-year-old scored the only goal of the second leg between Bayern and Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final this season. However, the versatile player is known more so for his ability at right-back and defensive midfield.
Arsenal want to improve their midfield and football.londonunderstands it is the priority area for them to recruit in. There remains interest in other areas too but Kimmich’s skillset could help cover two areas should he arrive.
Some may not be enthused about a 29-year-old being a key target for Arsenal, but digging deeper it makes plenty of sense. As previously discussed, the market has not been forthcoming with options in the ilk of Declan Rice or Gabriel Jesus like in previous summers.
What the signing of Kimmich allows is the acquisition of a world-class player who can play in two areas. With only a year remaining on his deal, the price tag should reflect that compared to another Rice-type £100million-plus marquee transfer.
Kimmich provides the quality Arsenal need in the short to medium term before a long-term option emerges in future windows. A strategy which Arsenal arguably employed with Thomas Partey when they signed the Ghanaian at the start of the project to secure the immediate quality they needed when they failed in their pursuit of Houssem Aouar.
What Plettenberg has revealed which will raise eyebrows is the eye-watering wages Kimmich is on at Bayern. His €20million (£16.9million) per year wages equates to £325,000-per week and would make Kimmich one of if not the highest earner at the club if the Gunners offered an increase to tempt him into a switch.
However, this is the reality that clubs in this bracket face as Arsenal know all too well from their signing of fellow German international Kai Havertz, who also joined the top bracket of earners at the club after his arrival. Yet, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for and Arsenal would be getting a world-class player in Kimmich.
A potentially lower transfer fee also frees up more scope to spend more in the forward positions, centre forward and wide areas. Lastly, as third-choice Bayern captain, Arteta would also be adding a serious leader to his squad which the Spaniard has always been a fan of.
