Barcelona signed Oriol Romeu this past summer to fill the void left by the departure of former captain and club legend Sergio Busquets.
However, the former Chelsea and Girona midfielder was far from the first choice for Barça manager Xavi Hernandez.
Indeed, the Blaugrana had other names at the top of the priority list, but the financial situation at the club meant that those players were out of reach.
One such name was Bayern Munich midfield mainstay Joshua Kimmich, who was very much on Barcelona’s agenda, but was never a realistic option due to the finances.
Xavi still admires Kimmich
Now, Jose Alvarez of El Chiringuito TV is reporting that Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is still ‘in love’ with Kimmich.
The 28-year-old German international has been a permanent fixture in the centre of the park for the Bavarian giants for years now and it is no secret that Xavi admires his talents greatly.
And, as per Jose Alvarez, Xavi continues to harbour hopes of signing Kimmich at Barça in the near future.
It is further claimed that the midfielder, whose market value stands at €75 million, is not going through his best moment at Bayern Munich currently.
Furthermore, it is also stated that the German superstar would be excited to work under Xavi’s guidance at Barcelona.
Another Lewandowski situation?
Kimmich has a contract with Bayern Munich that runs until 2025, but the report claims that he is unwilling to renew his deal at this point.
As such, he would be entering the final year of his contract next year, which could potentially open the door for an exit.
Barcelona had signed Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich in 2022 under similar circumstances and believe that Kimmich’s situation, too, could unfurl in the same pattern.
A lot can change between now and the summer though, but what appears certain is that Xavi continues to admire Kimmich and wishes to have him under his command at Barcelona.
