Liverpool 'hold talks' with Bundesliga superstar who could join in bargain deal amid ‘growing feeling’ claim

Premier League leaders Liverpool are understood to be in talks with highly-rated Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich as they continue to make contingency plans for the potential departure of fan favourite Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Reds right-back has less than six months remaining on his Anfield contract and has been the subject of rampant speculation linking him with a move to European champions Real Madrid after an incredible 20-year association with the team that he joined when he was just six-years-old.

Trent’s potential departure would see Liverpool lose one of the best creative players in English football and someone who has been integral to the team’s success in recent years. The England international, although at times criticised for his defensive awareness, is blessed with excellent pace, pinpoint passing accuracy, tremendous ball control and the ability to excellently strike a ball from distance.

He is a lifelong Liverpool fan and someone the fans value highly although Michael Owen has warned that leaving the club at this stage could potentially ‘tarnish’ that incredible legacy.

However, in Kimmich they could potentially get their hands on a top quality replacement for Trent on the right-hand side or alternatively the dream defensive midfielder the club has been crying out for due to the German’s versatility. Better yet he could arrive without a transfer fee in what would potentially be one of the signings of the summer.

Liverpool plot bargain move for Joshua Kimmich

Joshua Kimmich has long been regarded as one of the very best players in the Bundesliga and he has been central to Bayern Munich’s success since joining the club from RB Leipzig a decade ago in 2015. The 29-year-old is equally effective as both a right-back and a central midfielder and has been compared to Phillip Lahm due to his immense versatility, consistency and his ability to be a threat at both ends of the pitch.

Caught Offside understands that these qualities have prompted Liverpool to open talks with the Bayern Munich stalwart, who is approaching the final few months of his contract at the Allianz Arena after failing to agree a new deal with the club.

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany is understood to be keen to keep the German international onboard, but reports claim there is a growing feeling the footballer will leave for pastures new this summer, with Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain also showing interest. CaughtOffside, however, understands that Kimmich is leaning towards a move to England where he can test himself against a number of the best teams in the world.

How would Joshua Kimmich fit in at Liverpool?

Joshua Kimmich’s passing qualities, defensive awareness and leadership skills would allow him to slot in nicely to Liverpool’s backline as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold if the Scouser does not agree a new deal with his boyhood club. Kimmich’s record of 43 goals and 113 assists in 421 games makes him one of the few players that is comparable to Trent’s impressive record of 21 goals and 87 assists in 341 Liverpool appearances in terms of overall output.

In that respect, Kimmich would offer Liverpool a similar threat going forward in the right-back area and alleviate some of the problems that could arise if Trent departed. However, Liverpool may have a ready-made successor in that area in the form of Conor Bradley, who has shown increasingly over the course of this season that he has the potential for a huge career in the professional game.

Should that be the case, Slot could look to deploy Kimmich in a defensive midfield role to compete with Ryan Gravenberch and offer a different dimension to the team in the central areas.

Jurgen Klopp, before his departure, tried and failed to get both Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Romeo Lavia from Southampton with both players choosing instead to join Chelsea. Similarly, Slot after his arrival had shown an interest in signing Martin Zubimendi before talks over a deal ultimately broke down.