Bayern Munich director of sport Max Eberl has warned Joshua Kimmich that no player is above the club as the Arsenal-linked midfielder reportedly hesitates over a new contract.
Speculation surrounding the 30-year-old's next career move has heated up over the past 24 hours, as it has been reported that the Gunners have made contact with his camp to discuss a possible summer deal.
Kimmich's existing contract at the Allianz Arena expires at the end of the season, meaning that he is able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with teams outside of the Bundesliga before a potential free transfer.
The versatile Germany international had a three-year extension offer on the table from Bayern Munich, although the German giants are now said to have pulled the plug on that proposal due to him hesitating over his future.
The Bavarians are now rumoured to have given Kimmich a deadline to come to a decision over whether he wishes to sign a new deal, which would be either on the same or a lower salary than his current terms.
Eberl insists Bayern are not ready to give up on Kimmich
© Imago
As the midfielder mulls over whether to continue his career at Bayern or try his hand in a different division, Eberl has insisted that any player who feels that they are "above the club" will be let go, but they have not written off their chances of keeping Kimmich.
"Generally speaking, nobody is above the club," Eberl told Bild. "If a player decides differently, then he decides differently. Things will continue at FC Bayern. We are not at that point with Kimmich."
Arsenal are not alone in their pursuit of Kimmich, who is also thought to be on the radars of all of Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United ahead of the summer window.
The 30-year-old is equally competent at right-back as he is in midfield and could therefore succeed either Kyle Walker at Man City or Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, the latter of whom remains Real Madrid's top summer target.
Alternatively, Kimmich could slot into the Man United midfield in place of either Christian Eriksen or Casemiro, who are both expected to head elsewhere when the 2024-25 campaign is over.
Could Kimmich move threaten Martin Zubimendi pursuit?
© Imago
As Arsenal already have Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu - admittedly an injury-prone Tomiyasu - available at right-back, they are thought to view Kimmich as an ideal midfield addition.
The German would slot straight into the number six role at the Emirates, which should be vacant at the end of the season if both Jorginho and Thomas Partey depart when their contracts expire.
However, Arsenal are already said to be at the head of the queue to sign Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi in a £51m deal, and the Spaniard would also expect to become Mikel Arteta's first-choice holding midfielder.
With both Partey and Jorginho leaving, though, signing both Zubimendi and Kimmich makes sense from a numbers perspective and there is no indication that a deal for the former is in jeopardy, although it will be interesting to see whether either man is prepared to make the switch if they are not guaranteed to start week in week out.
Kimmich has been indispensable at Bayern Munich for almost a decade, registering 43 goals and 114 assists in 426 appearances and winning 20 trophies, including the 2019-20 Champions League.
Ben Knapton
