Arsenal reportedly made a "formal approach" for Joshua Kimmich before he signed a contract renewal at Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich confirmed on Thursday that the German midfielder, who was out of contract in the summer, had penned a new four-year deal that will keep him at the Allianz Arena until 2029.
Prior to that, however, Arsenal tried their luck in attempting to convince Kimmich to join them in the Premier League. Kimmich's contract situation allowed him to formally speak with clubs outside of Germany, something the Gunners were keen to take advantage of.
Arsenal attempted to sign Joshua Kimmich
With Jorginho and Thomas Partey both seemingly set to depart Arsenal in the summer, Mikel Arteta was keen to bolster his defensive midfield options.
Caughtoffside reported that Arsenal saw Kimmich as the perfect midfielder to add quality to their squad, with his creativity and passing ability also helping to unlock captain Martin Odegaard.
Indeed, while Odegaard struggled with an ankle injury early in the campaign, he has largely failed to hit the performance heights he has managed in recent seasons. Five goals and seven assists in 31 games is considerably lower than what he has previously managed, with his Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta even recognising his captain's inconsistency.
“Maybe the efficiency has dropped a little," Arteta said last month. "There were some penalties there as well that he scored in the past, that’s another factor. But we want to increase the levels of the scoring records of every individual and Martin is one of them.”
Injuries to Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz certainly hasn't helped Odegaard in his search for consistency, but that could've all changed if they managed to add Kimmich in the summer.
Kimmich's passing and forward movement were seen as ideal in freeing up space for the Norwegian to operate in, with the German's 10 assists this season prove his penchant for getting forward and helping with moves. That dream looks dead in the water, however, after he's committed his future to Bayern Munich.
In FourFourTwo's view, Kimmich would've be an excellent signing for Arsenal, though it makes sense that he would prefer to stay at Bayern and continue winning trophies in Germany - especially ahead of the World Cup next year.
Arsenal are back in Premier League action on Sunday when they host Chelsea.
