Arsenal ‘working hard to convince Joshua Kimmich to quit Bayern Munich’
Arsenal are “working hard” to convince Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich to make the move to the Emirates as he remains one of their top targets.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the 30-year-old’s experience is seen as a valuable asset.
Kimmich is out of contract at the end of the season and looks set to leave Munich on a free as things stand, placing Europe’s elite clubs on red alert over the move.
Brown previously told Football Insider that both Man City and Real Madrid want Kimmich and are preparing to step up their interest before the end of the season.
However, Arsenal have emerged as late contenders for his signature after holding talks with the player’s representatives over the possibility of a deal.
Mikel Arteta is keen to add winning experience to his side, and the versatile midfielder has lifted eight Bundesliga titles, nine domestic cups and the Champions League with Bayern.
Arsenal plot move to sign Joshua Kimmich after Bayern exit
With both Thomas Partey and Jorginho expected to leave Arsenal in the summer transfer window, the club have already begun working behind the scenes to land replacements.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has insisted that
“Kimmich has played at a high level over a long period,” he told Football Insider.
“He’s very highly-rated around Europe.
“He reminds me a lot of Phillip Lahm in that everybody speaks about him as a top-class character and leader as well as his talent.
“I think he could play for any team in the world.
“He doesn’t rely on doing anything special, he just gives you top performances every week.
“Arsenal have been working hard behind the scenes to reach an agreement with him.
“They’ve been speaking to his representatives to gauge what it would take to agree a deal.
“Now, they’ll be trying to convince him to join them rather than going elsewhere or staying at Bayern.
“Kimmich would bring a lot of experience to this Arsenal team and I think that’s what Mikel Arteta will be looking at – he’s won all there is to win.
“Plus, he’s versatile and can do a job in a few positions which is always a strength for any player.
“If they can pull it off, I think that would be a very good deal for Arsenal.”
Mikel Arteta makes Leandro Trossard call amid Saudi interest
While incoming transfers are set to be the focus of Arsenal’s summer transfer window after their failings during the mid-season window, possible departures remain on the cards.
Football Insider revealed on 3 March that Leandro Trossard is a target for Saudi clubs after they missed out on a deal to sign him last summer.
This comes after Football Insider revealed in September that Al-Ittihad submitted a bid of around £30million after the close of the English transfer window.
The 30-year-old will have just 12 months remaining on his Arsenal contract in June, although Arteta is reluctant to see him leave given the squad’s lack of depth in wide areas.
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