Joshua Kimmich reunion with Hansi Flick at Barcelona suffers setback due to financial constraints
According to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources, Joshua Kimmich remains a top transfer target for FC Barcelona this summer.
Last year, Kimmich was highly sought after by manager Xavi Hernandez as a successor to Sergio Busquets, who departed for Inter Miami after leading Barcelona to a La Liga title in the 2022/2023 season. However, financial constraints prevented Barcelona from pursuing Kimmich or Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, leading Xavi to settle for Oriol Romeu from Girona for a modest fee.
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Romeu initially showed promise as a defensive midfielder but soon struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances. Despite announcing his intention to step down on June 30, 2024, Xavi later decided to fulfill his contract until June 2025.
Mundo Deportivo reported that Xavi’s decision to stay was contingent on signing Kimmich and other key players like Bernardo Silva. Nonetheless, his public complaints about the club’s financial difficulties and inability to compete with Real Madrid contributed to his downfall.
Catalan outlet 3Cat reported that Xavi’s desire to offload players such as Robert Lewandowski and Romeu caused friction with the board. Whether these reports are accurate or not, Xavi appears poised to be replaced by Hansi Flick. Despite these managerial changes, Kimmich remains a priority target for Barcelona.
A potential reunion with his former Bayern Munich manager, Flick, who led Bayern to a treble in the 2019/2020 season, could be on the horizon.
Barcelona’s wage offer below Kimmich expectations.
Negotiations with Kimmich are reportedly at a standstill due to economic disagreements.
Kimmich’s current salary of approximately $21.1 million (€19.5 million) annually poses a significant challenge for Barcelona, which also needs to allocate $32.5 million (€30 million) for Lewandowski, the future highest earner in the squad.
As it stands, Barcelona must navigate these financial hurdles to secure Kimmich’s transfer.
