Barcelona have cooled their efforts to sign a new defensive midfielder this summer, with the emergence of Marc Casado and Marc Bernal also added onto their belief that an addition is not particularly necessary. This stance has also meant that they are no longer pursuing Joshua Kimmich.

Kimmich had emerged as a leading target for Barcelona earlier in the summer, but for financial reasons, the possibility of him signing was discarded. However, it’s likely to be re-assessed in 2025 if he is available as a free agent – his Bayern Munich contract expires at the end of the upcoming season.

The chances of that happening are increasing. According to Le Parisien, Kimmich does not intend to move from Bayern this summer, with his intention being to see out the remainder of his contract before making a decision on his future.

Signing Kimmich on a free next summer would be a fantastic piece of business for Barcelona, especially amid the uncertainty surrounding the situations of Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan. However, there’s a long way to go before this can be considered a realistic possibility.