Hansi Flick’s thoughts on Barcelona transfer target resurface | OneFootball

Hansi Flick is not looking for wholesale signings this summer and it is increasingly clear now that he considers La Masia to be the backbone of his project.

Barcelona will thus turn to the market only for two or three signings this summer, one of which will likely be a defensive midfielder.

Shifting to a 4-2-3-1, the new manager requires a strong base in midfield and Joshua Kimmich has emerged as a prime option on that front.

After all, Flick has worked with the Bayern Munich star before and is said to admire his profile.

Flick’s comment resurfaces

In light of Barcelona’s interest in the versatile midfielder, one of Hansi Flick’s comments on Kimmich during their time together in the German National Team in 2023 has resurfaced (h/t iMiaSanMia).

The manager, at that point, was quizzed about the player’s lackluster form at the time, to which he said,

“You’re welcome to criticize me but leave the players alone. Jo [Kimmich] has a mentality comparable to that of Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. But he can have a bad phase too.”

What is clear from the statement is that Flick rates Kimmich very highly, not only for his technique on the field but also his mental game and leadership.

Another takeaway from the same incident is that Flick does not shy away from defending his players voraciously even if it means taking the blame on himself – one of the marks of a great manager.

Will Kimmich wait for a year?

Kimmich is undoubtedly one of Flick’s priorities for the summer transfer window but Barcelona’s financial situation makes it difficult for the club to realistically pull the deal off.

As revealed earlier this week, the manager is thus prepared to wait for a year and sign the Bayern Munich star in 2025 if he is available as a free agent.

Everything, needless to say, is in the defensive midfielder’s hands as he must decide between renewing and running his deal down.

For this season, Flick could well opt for a lower-cost option on the transfer market to cover the pivot position or turn to Andreas Christensen and Frenkie de Jong to do the job.

Meanwhile, Marc Casado from the subsidiary team makes a strong case as well.