Kimmich's father frustrated by contract delays as midfielder re-signs with Bayern until 2029

The saga of Joshua Kimmich's (30, Bayern Munich) re-signing had fans worried, but they were not alone. Kimmich revealed that even his father was angry.

German Sky Sports reported on the 14th (Korean time) that "Kimmich explained the reason for hesitating to extend his contract with Bayern, noting that he angered even his family while pondering over a new deal."

Kimmich is the team captain of the German national team and a key asset for Bayern. He joined Bayern in 2015 and has grown into a franchise star. Starting as a right-back, he transformed into a central midfielder, earning the nickname "the second Philipp Lahm." In 2020, he was named to both the FIFA World Best XI and the UEFA Team of the Year.

Kimmich is currently playing primarily as a midfielder, but depending on the team's situation, he also takes on right defense. Due to his versatility, he has become an indispensable player under the newly appointed coach Vincent Kompany this season.

In fact, Kimmich has played the most minutes on the team this season (a total of 3,387 minutes). So far, only Kimmich has played more than Kim Min-jae (3,176 minutes) among Bayern players.

However, Kimmich's future was uncertain. His contract with Bayern was set to expire at the end of this season. Many speculated that he would leave as a free agent (FA) this summer, as Bayern had been pursuing a re-signing since last season but faced setbacks due to Kimmich's conflict with former coach Thomas Tuchel.

Recently, it seemed that Bayern was close to retaining Kimmich. Local German reports indicated that Bayern was on the verge of re-signing Kimmich after promising a wage increase. There were also speculations that an official announcement would be made within a week. Many fans hoped that a second contract extension would materialize since 2021.

But Kimmich's passive attitude put everything at risk. German Bild reported earlier this month that "Bayern held a quarterly board meeting last Monday. Discussion on the Kimmich issue also took place. The decision is clear. The offer will not be improved any further. The current offer has been withdrawn due to Kimmich's prolonged hesitation."

Naturally, the possibility of negotiations breaking down increased. Bild emphasized that "the door for re-signing is not completely closed yet. The club and Kimmich remain in negotiations following the withdrawal of the previous offer. However, whether he can return to the conditions of the previous offer is uncertain," noting that "Kimmich is said to have received offers from prominent foreign clubs. His situation is complex. The possibility of a happy ending with Bayern has diminished."

Here, Kimmich also made a bombshell comment. After the match against Bayer Leverkusen on the 6th, he said, "The club wanted to make a decision before two matches against Leverkusen. Injuries complicated things for me. But a decision will be made soon." He added, "I don't know if it will be decided before the second match against Leverkusen. But it will be made by the latest before the international match break."

The foreign club that approached Kimmich was Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), where Lee Kang-in plays. Sky Sports Germany reported that "PSG officially proposed a transfer to Kimmich. The contract period offered is until 2029. Kimmich has not yet responded."

As a result, concerns grew that Kimmich might leave Bayern. However, he ultimately decided to stay with Bayern. Bayern announced on the 13th that Kimmich had re-signed until June 2029. Given that Kimmich will be 34 by then, it can be seen that he has essentially committed his remaining future to the club.

Kimmich revealed the behind-the-scenes story of his re-signing saga. He said, "At one point, my father called me and asked, 'What is this? What else do you need?' This means that even his father was frustrated by the prolonged negotiations.

Kimmich added, "I wanted to see how everything would unfold. So I deliberately took my time. Considering the past, I think it was justified. But at one point, I realized, 'Okay, this is crazy.' I trust the coach completely, and I trust our team completely. I also fully trust myself and my role."

Kimmich had the opportunity to move to PSG last summer for a greater financial reward. He stated, "Last summer I was a potential transfer candidate at Bayern. That should not be forgotten," adding, "Of course, no one came to me saying, 'I want to send you away.' But I knew that the club was open to my transfer. So my thoughts grew that 'there are other clubs out there.'"

However, Kimmich has been completely rejuvenated under Coach Kompany. He said, "I feel I am playing at the highest level in the past 10 years under the coach." After spending last season that way, he didn't want to just say goodbye. Leaving at that moment felt contrary to his instincts, for himself, his family, and for Bayern.

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