Exclusive: Champions League winning midfielder one of Manchester City’s top summer transfer targets

Follow us on Google Discover

• EXCLUSIVE with Graeme Bailey

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich is one of Manchester City’s top midfield targets for the summer, HITC Football understands.

Joshua Kimmich has been linked with a move away from Bayern Munich for the past few months now and it is our understanding that Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have held an interest in the German for the past couple of years.

The German midfielder was superb for Bayern against Manchester United in the final group game of the Champions League season but it looks like the midfielder could be ready for a new challenge.

Sources, with knowledge of the situation, believe that the German could be ready to explore his options with his contract at the Bavarian side expiring in the summer of 2025.

Manchester City’s interest

It has been an inconsistent season for last season’s treble winners and it seems Guardiola and his transfer team are already assessing their options for moves in the summer.

To that end, we understand City, who retain a strong interest in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta whom they made a bid for last summer, see Kimmich as an ideal player to bolster their midfield.

Crucially, Bayern would be open to selling the Champions League winning midfielder this summer as the chances of the 28-year-old signing an extension with the Bavarian side are currently very slim.

It is also our understanding that City actually wanted him last summer to help offset the loss of Ilkay Gundogan, who joined FC Barcelona, but he was not attainable.

PSG competition

Despite City being keen on a deal, we also understand that Paris Saint-Germain leads the race to sign the German midfielder, but are looking to sign Kimmich this month.

Due to the competition that looks to be coming for the midfielder in the summer, the French giants are keen on striking an agreement in the winter window, although this certainly looks difficult at this moment in time.

Nasser Al Khelaifi spoke about Kimmich to RMC and said: “I respect FC Bayern and I won’t talk about a player from another club. If we have an interest in some players, we go and speak directly to the club.”