Arsenal force Bayern Munich into transfer decision as Joshua Kimmich makes Kai Havertz demand

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Arsenal have been given a boost to their hopes of signing Joshua Kimmich. The 30-year-old midfielder faces an increasingly uncertain future at the Allianz Arena, with his Bayern Munich contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Since the start of the new year, foreign clubs have been eligible to open pre-contract talks with Kimmich over a free transfer in the summer. Rather than cash in on the Germany international during the January transfer window, the Bavarians refused to be bullied into a sale.

Bayern stood their ground, but now they could miss out on millions. If Kimmich doesn't pen an extension, he'll be free to leave and the Bundesliga giants won't be entitled to a compensation fee.

With the German yet to sign a new deal and Arsenal in the market for a bargain, the Emirates Stadium has been mooted as a potential destination. According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Gunners want to sign Kimmich, who they view as a replacement for Jorginho.

The report claims the Bayern ace has already received a written offer from an unnamed Premier League club – and Vincent Kompany's side have been notified. It's said that Kimmich also has an offer from a foreign club.

According to German outlet BILD, Bayern had offered the versatile midfielder a new deal, but the proposal was withdrawn after failing to agree on a signing bonus fee. The report claims the Bavarians will not increase their previous offer, and they're only prepared to put the original deal back on the table.

BILD add that Kimmich made inform higher-ups of his decision to stay at the Allianz Arena before Wednesday night, when Bayern lock horns with Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Plettenberg claims Kompany's side tabled a three-year deal worth up to €22m (£18.2m) a year.

For context, according to Capology, that would make Kimmich the highest paid player at Arsenal, leapfrogging Kai Havertz, who currently tops the charts and rakes in around £14.5m-a-year. That said, it remains unknown whether the Bayern star would be open to joining the Gunners.

In June 2024, Kimmich provided a brief update on his future. Speaking to reporters, he said: "The situation is absolutely clear. I have a contract with Bayern until 2025, so it’s not mainly up to me to be active right now. My focus is solely on the European Championship, and after that there will be a conversation."

Then, a few months later, Kimmich left the door open to a move to Barcelona. When asked if he would consider joining the Catalan giants, he said: "I’m not thinking about that, but you should never rule anything out in life and also in football.

"Barcelona and Spain as a national team had a big impact. Xavi Hernandez was my childhood role model, I always watched the games with Pep as a coach and the Tiki-Taka. They were a role model."

On Hansi Flick, who he's previously worked with for club and country, Kimmich added: "Hansi created a good spirit back then. He gave the players and everyone around us a lot of trust. Also at times when there were doubts, including we players in ourselves.

"We then played spectacular football that we all loved. We created a dynamic, we believed in what sort of football we were playing. That was what that time was about."

On his future at Bayern, Kimmich concluded: "Everyone knows I’m in talks with the club. What I discuss with the club remains internal. I won’t talk about it in a press conference."

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