Liverpool ‘in the race’ with Man City to sign Bayern Munich star

Liverpool and Manchester City are battling it out at the top of the Premier League and the two titans could also face a massive transfer battle this summer, with both teams said to be interested in Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich.

Kimmich is into the last 18 months of his contract at Bayern and has attracted the attention of some of the biggest teams in Europe, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also having a long-standing interest in the 28-year-old.

The German international looks set to explore his options in the summer, with Bayern seemingly ready to cash in on their star midfielder rather than risk losing him on a free next year, with Kimmich yet to show the desire to extend his deal at the club.

Christian Falk from German outlet BILD spoke of the speculation, saying: ‘He’s in the final year of his deal at Bayern and they would like to celebrate a purchase price rather than lose him for free.

“They could lose if he does not extend. And that’s where Manchester City and Liverpool come in. Thiago is always injured at Liverpool and his contract is running out, [Jordan] Henderson has left, there is a bit of space in midfield and Jurgen Klopp of course knows how important Kimmich is.

“[Jorg] Schmadtke, the sporting director [at Liverpool], has good connections in the Bundesliga. So, Klopp is also now in the race for Kimmich.”

Why Kimmich transfer may prove difficult this summer

Kimmich has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world during his time at Bayern, having joined the club from RB Leipzig in 2015.

Capable of playing at right-back due to his competence in the art of defending as well as contributing in the final third, Kimmich’s profile and pedigree has made him an attractive prospect for Klopp and City manager Pep Guardiola.

However, Bayern will likely demand a significant fee for one of their most important players and Kimmich will be aware that he has a better chance of moving to a bigger club as a free agent in 2025.

Barcelona are said to see Kimmich as a dream target but the Spanish side would only be able to sign him on a free, while City and Liverpool may be reluctant to spend big money on a player who will be 29 next month, although the strong competition for his signature means interested teams could beat their rivals to his signing by convincing Bayern to sell this summer.