Liverpool on red alert over Joshua Kimmich as Bayern Munich makes transfer call

Liverpool will be watching developments with Joshua Kimmich closely. Both he and Bayern Munich are now open to a summer departure.

Kimmich's current contract runs until next summer, and he would be prepared to run it down and leave for nothing. Bayern is keen to avoid that scenario, and has therefore signaled a willingness to sell him provided a suitable offer comes in, per Sky Germany.

It's one to monitor for Liverpool, given that Arne Slot could still decide he needs a specialist in the holding midfield role. The Reds have not really had one since Fabinho departed, missing out on Moises Caicedo, signing Wataru Endo as a stopgap, and then primarily fielding Alexis Mac Allister there as a somewhat makeshift solution.

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Kimmich, of course is a seasoned operator in that position, while also boasting plenty of experience at right-back. In that sense, he would free up Slot to do more or less anything with Trent Alexander-Arnold, acquiring another world-class option capable of playing the hybrid role.

At 29, the German would not be a typical Liverpool signing, especially with Michael Edwards back involved. But Plettenberg has reported that the Reds are among five teams still in the race for Kimmich's signature, along with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City and Arsenal.

That's some heavyweight opposition, and Liverpool would need to make a significant salary commitment, with Kimmich one of the very top earners at Bayern Munich. His wages would also place him in that bracket at Anfield.

Interested parties will need to contact Kimmich directly. He is currently without an official agent.

Liverpool.com says: It's interesting that Sky Germany believes Liverpool is still in the race. Certainly, this is not the kind of transfer many would expect to kickstart an era where Edwards has been handed more control.

But there is a potential case for making an exception to the usual transfer policies. If Liverpool has assessed the market for holding midfielders and once again concluded there is nobody available who could truly take the team up another level, Kimmich could almost act as the luxury Endo, providing a world-class stopgap until such a time as the Reds are ready to make a more long-term move in the market.

Given the likely wage commitment involved, however, it's hard to see Liverpool pushing for this one, even with a relatively low transfer fee. In order to compete on the pitch against the other clubs linked with his signature, the Reds ultimately need to do things differently, constantly looking to the future and unearthing new talent.