Scout Report – Joshua Kimmich
Country – Germany
Date of Birth – 8 Feb 1995 (21 Yrs)
Current Club – Bayern Munich
Position – Central Midfield
Current Transfer Value – €8mill (Credit – TransferMarket)
Whenever we see a new kid on the block, our first reaction is,” Who is he?” or “Do we really need him?” or “Another kid wasting his time!” Unknown of the vast potential he bears; we start putting verdicts forward.
Such was the reaction when Bayern Munich contracted a German youth team member, Joshua Kimmich. We often forget that even Thomas Muller was a new kid someday, or even Toni Kroos was a learner many years back.
To be honest, German footballers hardly perform below expectations. The moment you see a German footballer on the field, you start believing that he can achieve new heights. It’s their birth right to do so.
But, can Kimmich really add extra ingredients to the food? If yes, then what? Keeping in mind that Bayern’s academy might make him a superpower, let us take a look on his detailed scout report –
Joshua Kimmich – A brief history
Born on 8th February, 1995, in Rottweil, Germany, he is a boy, who was set up and put into effect by VFB Stuttgart’s youth academy, which he joined at the age of 12. At the club, he rocketed past the ranks, playing for U-17 side at the age of 15 and U-19 side at the age of 17.
Kimmich was then bought from the second division by Bayern Munich for an astonishing amount of €7 million. Surprising because he was someone ‘unknown’, and perhaps still is, but with a huge potential.
Earlier he used to serve RB Leipzig, a 2nd division German club, where he played alongside players like Davie Selke, Max Meyer, Julian Brandt and many more.
Bayern could have invested on Brandt or Meyer, who are having experience in abundance, but they picked up Kimmich. Point to be noted here is that Bayern’s gamble underlines the vast potential he bears.
He broke into the scene in 2013 and 2014 and during this period he won several trophies and awards. One of them was Fritz-Walter Medal, the honour that is given to country’s top three youngsters.
But, he is much more than just a trophy or a medal winner and he just needs to prove this at Allianz Arena. Hopefully, he will excel the expectations.
Joshua Kimmich – Style and strengths
Talking of his preferred position, he fits the best as a defensive midfielder, but can also play as a central midfielder or as a centre back. However, he is not often used as a backline player.
He is the kind of player whom the team uses just to maintain the possession and hold the ball even in the worst situations which means that his hold-up play is appraisable. Every moment, he has an eye on the ball. Dribbling is the technique that helps him to be a box-to-box midfielder.
He can get past players without putting much effort, and then, his inch-perfect passes are just stunning. He can see those attacking players, who are even standing far-off from him, in the upper part of the field, and can exhibit fashionable long passes, which means that his vision is quite better than his teammates.
His awareness and positioning is another rare trait to be possessed at such a young age. Being at a decent position allows him to receive key passes and open up the game. When all the options of passes are cut off, Kimmich will come from the back and will add a bit of dime to the attacking play, that finally puts his team ahead.
Defensively, he is an absolute gem. His physicality is just mesmerizing. When Bayern are looking to add a pinch of physicality to your midfield, I can say, they have got the man in Kimmich. Being a midfielder, he knows pretty well how to put tackles forward, how to snatch away balls and how to win duos. His physicality meets his style of play, perfectly.
Joshua Kimmich – Weaknesses to be worked upon
I never find it good to criticize or demoralise a player who is still learning, but still, when I am writing a scout report, both pros and cons will get reflected.
His negativities include his aggression and fierceness. When he gets on to a player, he tackles him in such a way that it either injures him or the player. Yes, aggression is important when you will be performing in a big stage, but getting a red card is never a clever persons’ deed.
Though, I have been raving about his physicality, if he cannot put forward tackles judiciously like Bastian Schweinsteiger or Ilkay Gundogan, then his physicality is a complete waste.
If he works on these aspects, hopefully, a glistering future is not too far away.
Joshua Kimmich – What does the future hold?
His future has already been decided. Well, Bayern have just made a gamble on this player. If he performs good, then a bright future, but if he loses his style of play and fails to maintain consistency, he will be a Bayern-thrown-out. So, consistency will be the decider.
If he continues to impress people throughout the globe, we can expect top European clubs or even Asian clubs to put forward money in aplenty in order to lure away this young prospect.
He is being billed as the next Bastian Schweinsteiger of German football, and barring few weak areas, one could see why the comparison has been made. He is tenacious as Basti, he likes to get on the ball and dictate, and above all, his mentality reminds people at Bayern of a young Schweinsteiger.
Comparison may be a bit too much for Kimmich to live up to, but he has certainly got the skill and determination to achieve that in near future.
Image credit: getty, Video credit: Youtube, BayernCompHD