Manchester City’s midfield is arguably becoming a bit of a problem. With Rodri’s injury, the options Pep Guardiola has in the pivot is a select few players, with some having to drop deeper to help get by in the Spaniard’s absence.
The likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are the players who Guardiola has mainly had to rely on in the pivot. Although he has also experienced injury issues, Kevin De Bruyne has been played deeper at times, and Bernardo Silva is another player deployed in a deeper-lying role.
There is no doubt that City need to add to their depth in the middle of the park, and have been linked with a move for one new midfielder.
Man City’s midfield target
The player in question here is Bayern Munich and Germany international midfielder Joshua Kimmich. The 29-year-old is out of contract at the Bundesliga giants in the summer, and it is not clear if he will sign a new deal.
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This could open the door for Man City. According to a report from Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany, there is believed to be ‘concrete interest’ in the experienced midfielder from the Citizens, who could try and tempt him to the Etihad Stadium.
However, they are not the only side interested in signing Kimmich upon the expiration of his contract. Fellow Premier League side Liverpool have been linked but are ‘not currently pursuing him actively’, and La Liga outfit Barcelona are also in the mix. It remains to be seen if he will leave the club or simply sign a new deal.
Why Kimmich would be a good signing for Man City
There is no doubt the quality that Kimmich has, and he could certainly improve the City midfield. Described as a “world-class” player by football statistician Statman Dave, the German has featured 28 times across all competitions this term for Bayern, with one goal and seven assists to his name.
His goal was some strike, a thumping long-range effort against RB Leipzig in a fantastic 5-1 victory for Bayern. He also grabbed an assist that day, and was the Bayern skipper, too. It was a brilliant day at the office for Kimmich.
The German could be an excellent replacement for Kovacic in the middle of the park for City. The Croatian star has been disappointing at times this season in Rodri’s absence, despite playing 24 times and scoring four goals.
One of the most frustrating performances from the former Chelsea star this season came in the Champions League in the 4-2 loss away to Paris Saint-Germain.
Kovacic received a dismal 4/10 rating from Simon Bajkowski, Manchester City writer for the Manchester Evening News. The journalist explained that “it felt like he was one touch away from disaster” on too many occasions.
Of course, for a club aiming to win the biggest trophies every season, that is far from ideal for the middle of their midfield. Thus, signing someone with the quality of Kimmich might be an ideal move for Guardiola. Indeed, the statistical comparison via FBref between the pair is quite stark.
The Bayern star is a passing master, and averages 11.2 progressive passes and 13.2 final third passes per game this season.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
In comparison, Kovacic averages 6.32 progressive passes and 8.03 progressive passes each game. Kimmich is also brilliant off the ball, averaging 6.5 ball recoveries compared to the Croatian’s 4.47 each game.
| Kimmich vs. Kovacic key stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat (per 90) | Kimmich | Kovacic |
| Progressive passes | 11.2 | 6.32 |
| Passes into final third | 13.2 | 8.03 |
| Key passes | 2.56 | 1.58 |
| Shot-creating actions | 4.89 | 3.10 |
| Ball recoveries | 6.50 | 4.47 |
| Stats from FBref | ||
There is no doubt that the iconic German would be a huge upgrade on Kovacic in the midfield for City. Not only would Guardiola’s side be adding a creative machine to his side, but someone who works hard off the ball and can also slot in at right-back.
If the CItizens can get the German on a free at the end of the season, it could be the dream move and the perfect long-term partner for Rodri.
