Must we pick a winner and a loser from every contract negotiation?
What took Joshua Kimmich so long to re-up with Bayern Munich?
One report suggests that the midfielder was holding out for offers — but they were not as good as he hoped.
From Sport1 journalist Stefan Kumberger, as captured by @iMiaSanMia:
The offers Joshua Kimmich received from abroad were not as tempting as the player had originally imagined. That’s why there was no big pressure on Bayern during the negotiations. The supervisory board with Hainer, Hoeneß, Rummenigge and co insisted that Kimmich should sign a new contract with the same terms as before (salary €20m/year): no pay rise, no signing fee, no special treatment. The bosses remained firm and refused to improve the offer until Kimmich finally relented and signed the contract. After the extensions of Musiala and Davies, Bayern bosses were determined to hold firm and prevent another salary increase [@StefanKumberger, @SPORT1]
BFW Analysis
It is odd that these angles keep getting hashed out in the aftermath of the Kimmich extension — although there may be truth to the reports too, of course. Kimmich is world-class, but at 30, and on €20M wages, every club has to be thinking about the level of investment and the surety of his immediate integration into both a different club culture and perhaps a different tactical setup.
Kimmich’s decision to stay at Bayern makes sense on multiple levels in the end, not just for the player but also for the club.
He’s signed, he’s the captain in waiting, and he is going to lead Bayern into the next few seasons.
Let’s celebrate the wins.
Looking to unpack your feelings on Bayern Munich’s latest injury crisis? Check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Emergency Edition, which covers the season ending injury to Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano’s long-term issue as well. You can get the show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
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