Those in positions of authority at La Liga team Sevilla will not be present at this weekend's matchup with Barcelona. Mundo Deportivo claims that this is the case, using the ongoing "Negreira case" as justification. As many will undoubtedly remember, Sevilla's board said in September that they would not be attending any of the events surrounding the team's La Liga away trip to Barcelona. The Nervionenses issued a statement outlining their reasons for declining the invitation to use an executive box at Montjuïc as well as the customary pre-match boardroom meal. As stated in the order circulated in the media, "complete indignation and rejection of the practices carried out by the former FC Barcelona leaders accused in the Negreira case, practices that supposedly constitute a crime for the Investigating Court number 1 of Barcelona." Furthermore, as previously said, the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán's leadership has not changed their position in the 12 mont
After the departure of Sergio Busquets in 2023, Barcelona has been eager to acquire a superior defensive midfield player. Since they couldn't afford one right away, Oriol Romeu was brought in from Girona; but, by the time he returned to Montilivi in 2024, no one had been signed.
The situation might ultimately be adequately handled if Barcelona does, in fact, return to La Liga's 1:1 rule prior to the start of the 2025 transfer window or windows. Joshua Kimmich would undoubtedly be a top contender if that turns out to be the case, not only because he has experience playing for Hansi Flick but also because he is expected to be a free agent at the end of the current campaign.
Kimmich's contract with Bayern Munich ends on June 30th. Negotiations have not been fruitful thus far, but Bild (via CaughtOffside) reports that he is set to sign a contract renewal later this season.
Kimmich would be a tremendous addition to Barcelona's squad, even more so than he would have been had Busquets gone. Why? He is not a natural number six, which is what Xavi Hernandez needed in his system. Flick uses a double pivot, which Kimmich is very comfortable playing in, having done so for both the Bavarian club and Germany.
If Kimmich is a free agent, it's simple to assume that Barcelona should sign him, but would they really need him? A player with a similar style, Marc Casado has shown that he is unstoppable ever since joining the team at the beginning of the year. In addition, the Catalans already have an abundance of choices in defensive midfield, such as Marc Bernal, Gavi, Pedri, and Frenkie de Jong. They also have promising potential in La Masia, like Pau Prim.
Barcelona's financial issues will not be resolved by next summer, therefore they will be unable to spend freely. They still sorely need to decrease their pay bill, which is one of the reasons why signing Kimmich would be difficult; also, there are other positions that would benefit more from a statement signing, such as right-back or striker.
Finally, it remains to be seen how Barcelona will handle the summer transfer window in 2025. Deco is already working on a shortlist, which will undoubtedly include free agency candidates such as Kimmich. It would be wonderful business if he could be incorporated alongside other additions, but that appears doubtful at this time.
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