Joshua Kimmich could potentially become an Arsenal player, after the Gunners successfully convinced the German international to join Emirates. If so, how will the 29-year-old player be deployed by manager Mikel Arteta next season?

According to information published by Four Four Two magazine, representatives from Arsenal took advantage of the time after the match against Bayern Munich on April 10 to approach midfielder Joshua Kimmich. The London club succeeded in reaching a personal agreement with the German international. The 29-year-old star has agreed to join Emirates in the upcoming summer transfer window.

This is a player admired by manager Mikel Arteta and has been pursued by Arsenal for a long time. It is known that upon joining Emirates, Kimmich will wear the number 5 shirt, which is currently owned by midfielder Thomas Partey. This also implies that the Ghanaian international will no longer have a place in the Gunners’ lineup next season.

In Arsenal’s regular lineup, playing in a 4-3-3 formation, the positions of midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are untouchable. Coach Arteta only rotates players in the remaining position. Specifically, recently, the Spanish strategist has often used Jorginho, previously Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe, and even forward Kai Havertz in that role.

Will Kimmich become a Gunner next season?

If Kimmich does join Arsenal as rumored, he is likely to be slotted into the position that Jorginho has recently been used in. In his Bayern Munich days, the German international excelled as a defensive midfielder and was praised as Germany’s most complete midfielder. Undoubtedly, the combination of Odegaard, Rice, and Kimmich would make Arsenal’s midfield incredibly formidable.

However, Kimmich could also be utilized differently. In the past, the German star was known as an outstanding right-back before being boldly pushed into a defensive midfield role by Pep Guardiola (now managing Man City). This season, Thomas Tuchel has also occasionally deployed Kimmich as a right-back. Arteta could certainly arrange for Kimmich to play as a right-back in Arsenal’s lineup next season.

If so, Ben White would be the player who has to accept sacrifice, which is regrettable. The English international has recently excelled on the right flank, providing excellent support for Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, allowing them to focus fully on creating and scoring goals. As a result, Arsenal’s attacking play on the right wing becomes formidable.

Kimmich (left) contests the ball with an Arsenal player in the recent 2-2 draw.

It could also be a decent solution if Arteta experiments with Kimmich at the left-back position. The 29-year-old German player has been deployed in that role numerous times at Bayern Munich as well. It’s worth noting that Arteta has consistently expressed dissatisfaction with Arsenal’s left-backs and has considered recruiting midfielder Alex Grimaldo from Leverkusen.

Kimmich’s current contract with Bayern Munich runs until the summer of 2025. However, the German international has recently shown discontent with the Bavarian club, especially after his salary increase request was bluntly rejected by the club’s leadership. Kimmich has hinted at the possibility of leaving Allianz Arena several times after the 2023/24 season ended. Arsenal has taken this opportunity to continuously court the German international, through the intermediary of forward Kai Havertz.

According to some sources, Bayern Munich is willing to let Kimmich leave. However, for Arsenal to receive approval from the most prestigious club in Germany, they must be willing to pay a transfer fee of up to 60 million euros. This is not a cheap price for a star approaching the age of 30 and showing signs of declining form recently. Therefore, even if Kimmich gives Arsenal the green light, they will still face difficulties in negotiating to acquire the German international.