This guest post was written by Zach Lowy, Chief Editor and Social Media Manager of BreakingTheLines.com. Zach is a successful journalist and can be followed at @ZachLowy on X and @zachlowy.bsky.social
on Bluesky. Zach’s work can also be found on FotMob, BetUS and others.
Over the first quarter-century of the new millennium, we’ve seen quite a few domestic dynasties across European football. Juventus won nine straight Scudetti before being finally subdued in 2021, whilst Manchester City won an unprecedented four straight Premier League titles before finally relinquishing their crown to Liverpool this year. Shakhtar Donetsk have asserted themselves as the top dogs of Ukrainian football under CEO Sergey Palkin, winning 15 of the last 24 championships, whilst Paris Saint-Germain have established themselves as the unrelenting kings of French football with a record 13 championships (including the last four). As for Bayern Munich, they have established a chokehold on German football, winning 11 Bundesliga titles on the bounce before finally coming undone in 2023/24 and being usurped by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. They responded with a vengeance under new manager Vincent Kompany and finished 13 points above runners-up Leverkusen, winning 25, drawing 7 and losing just twice in the league to secure a record-extending 34th championship.
Whilst Bayern came up empty-handed in the cup competitions, losing in the quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Champions League and the Round of 16 in the DFB-Pokal, they nevertheless prevailed with two other ‘trophies’ – that of avoiding losing key players to free transfers. After tying Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala to long-term extensions, the Bavarian behemoths managed to extend yet another key player in Joshua Kimmich, whose contract was set to expire in the summer. The German decided to reject more lucrative offers and sign a deal that will see him earn a reported €20 million per season, bonuses included. It means that, by the time Kimmich’s current deal expires, Kimmich will have been at Bayern for 14 years.
Whilst Davies and Musiala have fallen prey to long-term injuries, Kimmich has immediately delivered on Bayern’s investment, helping to add to an individual trophy cabinet that already features nine Bundesliga championships, seven Franz Beckenbauer Supercups, three DFB-Pokal titles, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. A world-class jack-of-all-trades, Kimmich has established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s top defensive midfielders alongside the likes of Julian Weigl, Diadie Samassekou, Robert Andrich and Angelo Stiller, chipping in with vital interventions at the back as well as elite level playmaking ability and vision in the final third. Having previously grown accustomed to having to spend time at right back, Kimmich is now enjoying the opportunity to play in his preferred central midfield position, and the proof is in the pudding.
After captaining Germany in their World Cup qualifying wins vs. Luxembourg and Northern Ireland – scoring a brace in the latter – Kimmich reverted from the right back position to central midfield upon his return from international duty. Going up against a Dortmund midfield of Marcel Sabitzer, Felix Nmecha and Pascal Gross, Kimmich held his own and assisted Harry Kane’s opening goal in a 2-1 win, before running the show in a 4-0 win vs. Club Brugge with 3 key passes, 7 out of 9 long balls completed, and 5 recoveries. It was more of the same in the weekend’s match at Gladbach, where he opened the scoring in the 64th minute in a 3-0 win. Whether playing alongside Aleksandar Pavlović or Leon Goretzka in the double pivot, Kimmich has been able to impose himself from start to finish and steer Bayern to victory, proving why he deserves to be considered alongside the likes of Vitinha, Pedri, Federico Valverde, Rodri, and Scott McTominay as the best midfielders in the European game.
Only Michael Olise (3.17) has generated more Expected Assists than Kimmich (2.7) in the Bundesliga, per Sofascore, whilst only Nico Schlotterbeck (8.0) is registering more accurate long balls per game than him (6.8). At 30 years of age, Kimmich is aging like fine wine and continuing to take his game to new heights under Kompany, and he’s proving why it was a no-brainer for both parties to extend their marriage for another few years. Players of Kimmich’s ilk don’t grow on trees – even with their seemingly infinite wealth, Bayern would not be able to find a player who comes close to Kimmich’s level on the transfer market. He simply is on another level than every other midfielder in Germany, blending a fearless aggression out of possession with his dynamic movements and creativity in the attacking third. It’s why, whilst they left it a little late, there was no doubt whatsoever that Bayern were going to do the right thing and splash the cash and get Kimmich what will likely be the last lucrative contract of his career. Fast-forward seven months later, and it’s certainly demonstrated to have been a bargain fee for a player of his consistently elite performances.
Bayern sit five points clear in the standings with 30 goals scored and 4 conceded, and they have started their season with 13 wins from 13 matches. If they are to make it 14 from 14 and get past FC Köln in the DFB-Pokal, they’ll need Kimmich to be at his brilliant best.
This guest post was written by Zach Lowy, Chief Editor and Social Media Manager of BreakingTheLines.com. Zach is a successful journalist and can be followed at @ZachLowy on X and @zachlowy.bsky.social on Bluesky. Zach’s work can also be found on FotMob, BetUS and others.
