Arsenal can sign Mikel Arteta dream tactical transfer as perfect Thomas Partey replacement clear

It's not often that readymade players appear so actively on the transfer market. It's even rarer that those that are available seem to suit a club perfectly.

In Joshua Kimmich Arsenal certainly have that. Heading into the last year (and a bit) of his contract at Bayern Munich — the club he has been at for nearly a decade, winning 14 major competitions plus six German Super Cups for good measure -and his future is as uncertain as ever.

The 29-year-old has forever been linked with a move away from Bavaria, especially in recent times. Now, with Thomas Tuchel failing to get the most out of the versatile talent, his stay may well be coming to an end.

Sky Germany report that the player is open to leaving Bayern come the summer — when he would have just 12 months left on his deal — and that those above him in the club would be prepared to sanction an exit as well. No new contract talks are being held and the prospect of a fresh start looks possible.

Kimmich has still played plenty of football this season but is on course to record the fewest Bundesliga minutes in a single campaign since 2021. He has missed four matches of 26 so far through injury or illness, another to a suspension. He has often played at the heart of midfield but lost the captaincy early on.

Tuchel is just the next manager in line to have not managed to find a way for him and Leon Goretzka to quite click.Arsenal will be all too aware of this as they prepare to take on Bayern next month in the Champions League. A brief patch of uncharacteristic form for a winning machine aside, Mikel Arteta will know just how dangerous Bayern can be across the field.

Arsenal face anxious Man City points deduction wait after latest Premier League decision

What Nottingham Forest