As the “face of our club”
©IMAGO
Sports director Max Eberl makes Joshua Kimmich’s desired contract extension at FC Bayern attractive, including the captaincy. « I think we are very, very open with him, » Eberl told « Sport Bild »: « We tell him: we want to extend your contract with you. We say that he should become captain of FC Bayern when Manuel Neuer will no longer be on the pitch at some point and we have made it known to him that he must become a face of our club. We have made that clear to him and we support him.
Kimmich’s contract with the German record champions expires at the end of the season. The midfield boss has been active for Bayern since July 1, 2015, making him the longest-serving professional after Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller. Under coach Vincent Kompany, the 29-year-old is the undisputed leader in central midfield this season.
After the resignation of Ilkay Gündogan, Kimmich was promoted to captain of the national team under national coach Julian Nagelsmann. At Bayern, he has long been considered the best candidate for this position when Neuer ends his career.
According to media reports, Kimmich, considered one of Bayern’s best employees, will have to make slight salary reductions in the event of an extension. “As for the salary and what is being speculated in public, I can only say: we are trying to extend with Josh and we will try to reach an agreement,” Eberl said. “This affects the sporting aspect, the perspective aspect, but also the financial aspect. We want to reach an agreement with Josh on all three levels.
