Casemiro's replacement for Man Utd could come from the Bundesliga
Manchester United are interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich for an asking price more within reach for them than fellow suitors Barcelona, a report has claimed.
Kimmich is approaching the final year of his contract with Bayern, so his future is a big topic in Germany at the moment. If he doesn’t sign a new deal, the Bundesliga giants may have to sell a player they have had since 2015.
Various clubs are keeping tabs on Kimmich’s situation. For example, last month, TEAMtalk revealed he is on the shortlists of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
As reflected by Diario Sport, he is now also under consideration by a Barcelona side who have yet to find a suitable replacement for Sergio Busquets at the base of their midfield since the veteran’s move to Inter Miami last year.
However, the Spanish source claims Man Utd are ‘seriously’ interested in Kimmich and could outbid Barcelona for the 29-year-old.
Their interest comes as they debate the long-term future of Casemiro, who could be sold in the summer despite still having a contract until 2026.
To make Kimmich his replacement, Man Utd would have to meet Bayern’s asking price, which is in the region of €50m (£42.8m).
Due to Barcelona’s ongoing financial struggles, Man Utd are deemed to be the more likely suitor to make a bid of that kind of value.
In fact, Kimmich has been described as a ‘priority’ target for Man Utd as they prepare for their first transfer window under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new regime.
That may be somewhat surprising, since Ratcliffe wants Man Utd to move away from targeting expensive senior stars – like Casemiro was in 2022 – and more towards focusing on the future.
Kimmich, who has played 31 times this season for Bayern either as a holding midfielder or right-back, is still a top-class player, but he falls towards the upper end of the age bracket Ratcliffe wants to invest in.
Therefore, perhaps the update should be taken with a pinch of salt, especially considering it is coming from a source closer to Barcelona than Man Utd. But Kimmich’s future is all to play for.
Kimmich speaks out on his situation
Addressing his future, the Germany international has admitted he is focusing on finishing the season with Bayern and then concentrating on Euro 2024.
“For me the situation is very clear,” Kimmich told Welt. “I still have over a year left on my contract, so I’m relaxed about it.
“As of now it is still unclear who will be our new coach from summer. It is of course very interesting and important to know who it will be.
“My first priority now is to make the season as positive as possible, in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League. Then comes the EUROs. These are the things that matter.”