After the monuments Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller, Joshua Kimmich is surely the most symbolic player of Bayern Munich in recent seasons. With 8 Bundesliga titles to his name as well as 6 Super Cups, 3 German Cups, the 2020 Champions League, the 2021 European Super Cup and the 2021 Club World Cup, he has an incredible track record with the Record Master. Yes, but now, the native of Rottweil has been less sovereign lately, especially in 2023 and since the arrival at the club of Thomas Tuchel.
If he has played 14 matches this season (5 offerings) while remaining an indisputable starter and having worn the armband 10 times, Joshua Kimmich is not in the best form of his career. Already, his relationship with his coach Thomas Tuchel is tumultuous. While the latter wanted to recruit a number 6 and in particular João Palhinha (Fulham) this did not arrive and the German coach deplores this. Relations are said to be very cold between the Rekordmeister coach and Joshua Kimmich even if both parties take it upon themselves to collaborate together.
3 big names on the prowl
For his part, Joshua Kimmich is increasingly singled out for his performances. Excluded after 4 minutes against Darmstadt (8-0), he took a blow from Lotthar Matthaüs, consultant on Sky Sports Germanyrecently : “he has to play the ball first. He wants to dribble like a 6, but in the defensive zone, we don’t dribble. This is what we learn in the U12 category, at least in the U12 team that I coach, that we cannot, in defense, we do not dribble. You have to run to open spaces with the ball and if you have to dribble behind you, you pass the ball first or you throw the ball long.
Taking his rank, Joshua Kimmich can count on support like his former teammate Philipp Lahm. “Joshua has very high expectations of himself. It’s not always easy to always be on top. At Bayern, you have to prove yourself week after week. This goes for every player. He is experienced and has already experienced a lot. I played for Bayern” declared the former right-back Sky Sports. The camps oppose each other around Joshua Kimmich and all this rather difficult context is linked to the future of the German midfielder whose contract ends in June 2025…
And that complicates the matter quite a bit. According to information from Sports 1, Joshua Kimmich’s extension is dragging on and there is little chance that it will arrive in 2023 over the last two months of this year. The role given to him by Thomas Tuchel, the team’s planning and the player’s poor form create confusion around Joshua Kimmich. Bayern Munich remains the player’s priority for the moment, but watch out for the competition. If it does not extend before the summer, FC Barcelona, Manchester City or Real Madrid could then rush into the breach…
