Joshua Kimmich to Arsenal transfer assessed as £12m deal gives Mikel Arteta summer incentive
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder and defender Joshua Kimmich. The 29-year-old has for some time been considered one of the best in his nation, and his versatile traits have been lauded with labels of a Philipp Lahm successor.
Pep Guardiola signed him at Bayern, debuted him and sent him on the path to the elite level despite having just one season with him before leaving to join Manchester City. Guardiola began the trend of evolving full-backs, and Mikel Arteta has certainly taken inspiration at Arsenal with how he has used Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the past two campaigns.
Kimmich would fit seamlessly into this mould and bring experience to a still relatively young side. He will ironically face off against the Gunners in the Champions League next month after Bayern were drawn against Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Yet there are questions with the presence of White andthe soon-to-return Jurrien Timber of where he would fit in. Arsenal’s midfield remains well-stacked, although a summer departure of Thomas Partey could change that swiftly.
Declan Rice has shown great performances ahead of the No.6 role and there is certainly scope to find the England international a partner for next season. Martin Zubimendi has been linked and football.london understands Arsenal are interested, but the experience of Kimmich might be more attractive to Arteta, as well as the German’s versatility.
With one year remaining on his Bayern contract, his age profile would naturally combine to create a relatively accessible price tag as opposed to the hefty figures paid for Rice and Moises Caicedo recently, for example. However, if there is substantial interest from other top clubs
Read on football.london
