Barcelona manager wants face-to-face meeting with Bayern Munich superstar

Barcelona have officially announced the appointment of Hansi Flick as the new first-team manager, and in the process, laid the foundation for a new chapter.

The German tactician arrived in Catalonia yesterday and has put pen to paper on his deal with Barcelona. Now officially in the role he dreamt of, all eyes are on the moves Flick will push for in June.

The former Germany manager is said to concur with the administration that a top-level defensive midfielder is the need of the hour, especially given that he deploys a 4-2-3-1 system with a double pivot.

Joshua Kimmich has thus emerged as a prime candidate, given his experience in the position and existing rapport with Flick.

Flick wants a meeting

Reports yesterday revealed that Kimmich had turned down Barcelona’s opening contract offer, refusing to accept a salary cut to join the Catalans.

Flick, however, wishes to intervene and meet the player face-to-face so as to convince him of the move, reports SPORT.

The presence of a familiar manager on the sidelines could help change Kimmich’s decision, but one must remember that Barcelona still must negotiate with Bayern Munich even if Flick manages to convince the player.

Reunion on the cards? (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Uncomfortable at Bayern

While Kimmich is indeed adamant about taking a step back from salary at Bayern Munich, not all is well around his future at the German club.

The player was forced to play out of his niche pivot position last season and spent most of the campaign operating as a right-back.

Heading into next season, he wishes for clarity over his situation in Germany and will discuss it with the new manager Vincent Kompany soon.

Barcelona, thus, are not completely out of the running to land the player this summer. What is certain, however, is that they will not throw the kitchen sink for the midfielder whose contract runs until 2025.