Lewandowski reveals talks with Bayern Munich midfielder linked with Barcelona: “There was a lot of unrest”
Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski has confirmed that he did not speak to Xavi about Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich, although he did admit that the two players connected but the agenda was not to discuss the transfer possibility.
Kimmich, 28, was a subject of interest for Barcelona as they looked to occupy the vacated pivot position in the summer. The team from Catalonia, then struggling to keep their finances in check, had to give up on their pursuit owing to the price of the operation.
Back in February, manager Xavi hinted that Barcelona are, in fact, interested but everything depends on the player.
“He is a super top player, who understands the game in a fantastic way. If there is an open door, there will be a negotiation with Bayern,” he had said.
Back when Kimmich’s rumours surfaced, the German was said to be having a difficult time with respect to his contract extension. Given that his contract expires in 2025, Bayern were keen to offer an extension, but talks had hit a roadblock back then.
Despite that, Bayern president Herbert Hainer suggested that Kimmich happens to be a key member of the team and the player eventually stayed put.
And now, while speaking about the entire story, Barcelona forward Lewandowksi has revealed that he did talk about Kimmich back then, but the conversation had nothing to do with the Barcelona move.
“No [I did not speak to Xavi about Kimmich]. I only spoke with Jo [Kimmich] himself about his situation at Bayern. There was a lot of unrest and uncertainty over there in the past months,” Lewandowski said in an interview with Tobi Altschaffl
“That can have an effect on a team. But we only spoke as friends and former teammates – I did not try to lure him to Barcelona,” he added.
Barcelona still interested
While nothing came of Barcelona’s interest in Joshua Kimmich last summer due to their financial situation, the Blaugrana still remain great admirers of the Bayern Munich midfielder.
Xavi is said to ‘love’ the German international and with him set to enter the final year of his contract in 2024, the Catalans could weigh up a move for him, if finances permit.