Kimmich speaks on leaving Bayern, City to fight for Walker

 

MUNICH – Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich has no intention to leave Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, after recent speculation about his future at the club.

 

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“I am very sure that I will play here at Bayern Munich next season. At least I don’t have any other plans,” Kimmich said on Tuesday in Tokyo at the start of Bayern’s pre-season trip to Asia.

Kimmich, 25, has been at Bayern since 2016 and is contracted until 2025. He is a key player but played a little below par towards the end of the past season, and recent statements from coach Thomas Tuchel had fuelled speculation about his future.

Tuchel had said he could not guarantee who would be in the squad at the end of the transfer window but had also said that a Kimmich departure would be “a big surprise.”

Bayern play their first game in Tokyo against treble winners Manchester City on Wednesday before taking on J-League side Kawasaki Frontale and then moving on to Singapore for a date with Liverpool.

“I am looking forward to the game. City are the best team in Europe at the moment. We will know immediately where we are in our preparations,” Kimmich said. Tuchel said that Wednesday’s game comes too early for newly-signed South Korea defender Kim Min Jae who only arrived at Bayern last week in a move from Italian champions Napoli.

“He probably won’t play,” Tuchel said. “He has taken the next step at every club he has played for. We are happy that he has chosen us and hope that he will quickly find his feet and continue his development with us.”

For the upcoming season, Bayern have also already signed Konrad Laimer from RB Leipzig and Raphael Guerreiro from Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga champions are still eyeing the transfers of forward Harry Kane from Tottenham and defender Kyle Walker from Manchester City.

Walker has reportedly told manager Pep Guardiola he wants to leave treble winners Manchester City, but Guardiola said he won’t go down without a fight.

“He’s an incredibly important player for us. A player with such qualities is hard to find anywhere in the world. We want to keep him. We will fight for him, just like Bayern will do,” he said ahead of the friendly against Bayern.

Guardiola, however, admitted: “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I know that Kyle is in talks with other clubs.”

As for Kane, Bayern are reportedly to make a third offer for the player after Tottenham refused the first two – the most recent offering €80 million ($88.4 million) plus bonuses.