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5 reasons Barcelona should sign Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich

By Harry De Cosemo

HAMBURG, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 24: Joshua Kimmich of Muenchen celebrates after scoring his team's winning goal during the Bundesliga match between Hamburger SV and Bayern Muenchen at Volksparkstadion on September 24, 2016 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images)
HAMBURG, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 24: Joshua Kimmich of Muenchen celebrates after scoring his team's winning goal during the Bundesliga match between Hamburger SV and Bayern Muenchen at Volksparkstadion on September 24, 2016 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images) /
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MUNICH, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 26: Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Muenchen in action during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Allianz Arena on November 26 , 2016 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 26: Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Muenchen in action during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Allianz Arena on November 26 , 2016 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

2. He would fit in seamlessly

It is no coincidence that the most successful countries in soccer in the 21st century are Spain and Germany, because they share principles on how the game should be played, adding their own unique spin on it.

As a result, numerous players from each country has been able to fit in perfectly with the other’s league. Xabi Alonso has excelled at Bayern, as has Javi Martinez, while Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos have performed brilliantly at Real Madrid over different spells at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The ideology centres around ball possession and technique, which has also become synonymous at the Camp Nou. Former Blaugrana striker Thierry Henry once described playing for the club like learning a different sport, and that can be true, but for a player of Kimmich’s ability and background, adapting would hardly be an issue.

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Guardiola’s influence, both on the current Barcelona team and Kimmich himself would be the marrying factor if this deal was ever to go ahead. While German football is slightly more direct, the midfielder reads the game excellently, meaning he could compliment or replace the likes of Busquets, Gerard Pique or Sergi Roberto in fullback with minimal fuss.

Having such a specific philosophy has pros and cons and Barcelona are finding out about both. Academy products grow up immersed in the system, meaning grasping it at first team level is a problem. But as Henry alluded to, players from abroad must learn the way and quickly. Kimmich, in many ways, is the best of both worlds.

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