In a recent interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich talked through his decision-making process for signing his new deal in Bavaria.
“First of all, it was a completely new situation for me. With my previous contract extensions, it was always just a question of what terms would I be renewing under? This time, there were concrete alternatives. I don’t want to name any names, that’s not appropriate. After all, I deliberately chose FC Bayern,” said Kimmich. “Last summer, I was a potential transfer candidate at FC Bayern, let’s not forget that.”
When asked if he was told that the club was thinking about selling him, Kimmich said that he had only heard the rumors.
“Well, of course, no one comes to you and says, ‘We want to get rid of you.’ But I certainly noticed that the club was open to it. During that phase last summer, the thought began to grow in me: ‘Okay, there are other clubs in the world.’ Although it was actually clear to me that I didn’t want to just leave after a year like that,” said Kimmich.
When asked why Kimmich took so long to make a decision, the Germany international talked through the process.
“My old contract was due to expire in June, meaning, according to the regulations, I wasn’t allowed to talk to other clubs until January anyway. And I wanted to reserve the right to explore alternatives before signing what was likely my last major contract. I didn’t want to make a decision without knowing my options and weighing them up side by side,” said Kimmich. “And of course, this process wasn’t completed on January 5th. At the same time, I remained in constant contact with FC Bayern, and the club knew where I stood at all times. I was in regular contact with Max Eberl and Christoph Freund, and we talked a lot about prospects. Concrete figures only really came up in the last three weeks—and then my decision was actually made relatively quickly. At least, that’s what I think [laughs].”
Kimmich also confirmed that he had more lucrative offers:
“I can confirm that,” said Kimmich. “It’s about the overall structure. Money is a factor, of course, but the most important question for me was the sporting perspective: Where do I have the best chance of regularly competing for the Champions League title in the coming years? And the next question depends on this: Where do I have the best chance of playing a key role and influencing the team? In the end, both factors spoke in favor of FC Bayern. Added to that, of course, is the fact that my family feels very comfortable here; our four children were born here, and Munich has become our home.”
Finally, Kimmich confirmed that the contract extensions for Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies played a role in his decision.
“That was intentional. I wanted to be able to assess the team’s prospects, and I think the contract extensions with Jamal and Phonzy are a statement in that regard. I feel that FC Bayern is very well positioned and very healthy compared to other top clubs in Europe. I believe the mix is right: The club is careful about its finances, but is still willing to invest when it believes in something,” Kimmich stated.
With a move for Hugo Ekitiké getting close, the reality is that Bayern Munich is likely going to get Luis Diaz…whether fans like it or not. Bayern Munich has reportedly also exited talks with VfB Stuttgart to focus on a deal for Diaz. It might also just be time for Bayern Munich to rip off the band-aid and sell Kim Min-jae, João Palhinha, and Sacha Boey. Finally, we have a note on Bayer Leverkusen’s CEO and his recent slam on Bayern. You can get all of that and more on the latest edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show! The podcast is available on Patreon, Acast, Spotify, any major distributor, or below:
