Joshua Kimmich has extended his Bayern contract until 2025. A leader, fighter and all-rounder, the 59-time Germany international’s outstanding abilities are indisputable and will continue to serve the record champions for many years to come. fcbayern.com looks at what makes the 26-year-old one of a kind.
#1 World class in several positions
There is no position on a football pitch that Kimmich couldn’t play at the highest, perhaps except goalkeeper. He might only stand at 1.77 metres tall, but the all-rounder kept things tight in central defence at the start of his time at Bayern, before going on to embody both a world-class full-back and central midfielder in the ensuing seasons. Even though he sees his best position as holding midfield, Kimmich always does what the team needs and will play where required. For example, he was used at right-back again for the Champions League finals tournament in Lisbon, and he did such a good job he was named best defender in the UEFA Position Awards for 2020.
#2 Most consistent provider of recent years
The 2020 Champions League title was the greatest success of Kimmich’s Bayern career so far, which he played a telling part in with the assist for the winner against PSG.
Whether it’s set pieces, defence-splitting crosses or delicate chips in behind, Kimmich’s distribution of the ball is a major asset. He’s shown for years now that he has a good eye for a teammate and has set up 64 Bayern goals since summer 2017 alone. Kimmich has always provided at least 14 assists in each of the last four seasons, which is a level of consistency not seen anywhere else across Europe’s top five leagues. Those numbers are even more remarkable when considering that the multi-talented man spent long periods of that time as a nominal defender. Perhaps his most famous from that position was on 23 August 2020 when he delivered the ball for Kingsley Coman’s decisive goal in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. And he showed again in the 1-1 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 1 of this season that he’s not lost his touch in the slightest.
#3 A leader with fight
You’ll always hear Kimmich’s voice on a pitch, whether in a match or even in training. The on-field leader barks out orders, drives on his teammates and takes younger players by the hand. Kimmich exudes natural authority, embodying ambition and unbreakable desire to win like few others. Symbolic of that was his winning goal in last year’s Supercup against Borussia Dortmund, which FCB fans voted the club’s Goal of the Season. Where other players might have thought a chance was gone, his fighting nature meant he engaged all his strength to force the ball over the line while he himself was falling down.
#4 Ever-present now a fixture
Kimmich is a pillar of the current Bayern team, which would now look strange without him. Since moving to Munich for the start of the 2015/16 season, the six-time Bundesliga champion has made 264 competitive appearances for the club. Only Robert Lewandowski (283) and Thomas Müller (280) have played more in that time. It means Kimmich has featured in 85 per cent of FCB’s fixtures, and that number would be even higher if not for a knee injury at the end of last season. However, our No.6 has still played a total of 11,960 minutes for the club over the last three campaigns, which is more than any other outfield player in the Bundesliga in that period.
#5 The omnipresent running machine
Kimmich simply doesn’t stop running. He’s covered 841 kilometres over the last three Bundesliga seasons, of which over 23 kilometres have been with the ball at his feet. Both of those values are the most among Bundesliga players. He is everywhere on the pitch and always open for his teammates. The FCB midfielder averaged 102 touches of the ball per 90 minutes in the league last season, which was second only to Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba (109).
Kimmich averaged 12.6 kilometres per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga last season.
#6 Role model on and off the pitch
Although driven and vocal on the pitch, the father of two tends to adopt a quieter tone off it. However, he never loses sight of his position as a role model and the desire to take on responsibility. Alongside teammate Leon Goretzka, the 26-year-old founded the organisation WeKickCorona in March 2020 to combat the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The pair donated €1 million between them and managed to get the sum up to well over €5 million thanks to the help of others in aid of those affected.
Find out about Kimmich’s contract extension here:
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