Bayern Munich legend fears star midfielder may join Barcelona next summer

In light of the ongoing international break, Barcelona have found themselves some much-needed break to strategise their next move in the market, especially after confirming the deal with Nike.

While the Nike deal may not be enough to pull Barça away from the financial mess, it could still help them land a big signing next summer.

Joshua Kimmich has emerged as one of the top targets, as Barcelona look to reinforce their ranks in the summer of 2025.

Kimmich has become an appealing target for Barcelona due to his contract situation at Bayern Munich, with his deal expiring at the end of the season. The prospect of signing the midfielder on a free transfer is something Barcelona are interested in.

Lothar Matthaus expects Kimmich to join Bayern

Now, in a recent interview, former Bayern Munich great Lothar Matthaus has admitted that Kimmich may join Barcelona next summer.

Matthaus fears that Kimmich could opt for a move to Catalonia in order to reunite with his former coach, Hansi Flick, who is spearheading a revolution at Barcelona this season.

“Bayern have a great team, a great style of play and a great atmosphere. But maybe Kimmich wants to try something different. We know that at Barcelona there is a coach, Hansi Flick, who holds him in very high regard,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

Flick does indeed hold Kimmich in high regard and is reportedly keen on reuniting with him at Barcelona.

The German international has been identified as an ideal partner to Pedri in midfield, though Barcelona might need to offload Frenkie de Jong if they are to sign him.

The Dutchman is already facing an uncertain future at Camp Nou while his game-time has been impacted by Marc Casado’s rapid rise to prominence.

Barcelona, therefore, could look to offload de Jong next summer, in order to reduce the stress on the wage bill. This, in turn, could pave the way for the club to bring in Kimmich.

However, for now, Barça’s main focus will be to generate a sum of at least €50 million, as they look to register top players such as Dani Olmo, before the end of the year.