After Pep Guardiola Rejected Barcelona, Manchester City Plot to Hijack Hansi Flick’s Dream Transfer

The past few weeks turned out to be quite busy for FC Barcelona. With the departure of Xavi, in came Hansi Flick as the Spanish giants gear up for yet another turnaround season. While the former Bayern Munich boss is keen to make significant changes, his eyes remain fixed on his dream signing, Joshua Kimmich. However, once again, Barca could be in for a huge blow as Pep Guardiola, who snubbed his former Catalan side, has urged Manchester City to hijack the deal.

A fourth consecutive Premier League title, combined with the FA Cup final loss and early exits from the EFL Cup and the Champions League, isn’t the season the Cityzens wanted. Hence, the Spaniard remains keen to add more stars to his affluent roster. And what better name than Kimmich? The German superstar, versatile to be precise, has all the ideal qualities that Guardiola wants. As per TBR Football, the 53-year-old would like to reunite with the Bavarian star he managed at Allianz Arena.

The 25-year-old’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2025. However, Kimmich is reportedly not keen to sign a contract extension, forcing Bayern to put him on sale in this summer’s transfer window. The source further stated that even the right back is ‘intrigued‘ by the prospect of playing abroad. While this is promising news for City, they will be battling against Flick and Barcelona.

This is another disappointment for the La Liga side on Guardiola’s behalf, who, according to journalist Víctor Navarro, when asked if his doors to Camp Nou are closed forever, said, “Yes, it is closed…”

Now, their iconic boss’s interest in Kimmich is the latest problem for the Blaugranas. But the real question is, who needs the German international more?

Analyzing who needs Joshua Kimmich more: Pep Guardiola or Hansi Flick?

There is no doubt that the arrival of a world-class player like Joshua Kimmich is a move that favors both parties. Speaking of Barcelona first, the German defender-cum-holding midfielder can be a major help to Joan Laporta’s reviving project. The La Liga side has been struggling over the past few years, especially in Europe and they are yet to find a redemption season. So, Kimmich, either on the right back side or joining the midfield party with Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, and Gavi won’t be a bad sight to enjoy.

On the other hand, Manchester City is bracing themselves for the potential exits of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. While KDB is backed to join the MLS or Saudi Pro League, Silva is ironically linked with a move to Barca. Even though Rodrigo and Mateo Kovacic do the job, Matheus Nunes has failed to impress at Etihad.

Also, if considered for the backline, the uncertain future of Joao Cancelo would mean that Kimmich and Kyle Walker will ease Guardiola’s right-back problems.

Interestingly, Manchester City also has the upper hand over Barcelona, who are struggling with their finances. Whatever the outcome, it remains to be seen if Pep Guardiola can close Joshua Kimmich’s doors to Barcelona, just as he did for himself.