Arsenal handed Joshua Kimmich transfer answer as Bayern Munich decision made

Arsenal-linked Joshua Kimmich has signed a new contract at Bayern Munich.

It has recently been reported that the Gunners are showing interest in Kimmich. The German midfielder was set to be a free agent this summer, and interest from the Emirates Stadium made sense with both Thomas Partey and Jorginho out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Kimmich's eight Bundesliga titles would have also seen Mikel Arteta sign a player with a much-needed winning mentality to help his squad win silverware. But Arsenal now look set to miss out on the German after he signed a new contract at the Allianz Arena until June 30, 2029.

"At FC Bayern I have the best environment to achieve my sporting goals," he told the club's official website.

"That is what my decision was based on. For me at the moment, there is no better package of team-mates, coaching staff and club environment in order to achieve maximum success. I feel at home here and I am not finished yet."

Premier League rivals Liverpool were also linked, as well as Real Madrid. However, ex-Bayern midfielder and 1990 Ballon d'Or winner Lothar Matthaus warned Kimmich that no other club would have been able to offer anything better than the Bavarian outfit.

"At Bayern, the pending contract extension with Joshua Kimmich is currently the biggest problem,’ he wrote in his column for Sky in Germany. "Kimmich has to make a decision.

"There is no more grey, only black or white. He has been given time but at some point patience runs out.

"Both sides have lawyers who can write a contract down to the smallest detail within a week. Since I have known Bayern, they have rarely waited as long for players as they have now for Kimmich. Now the time has come to make a decision.

"I don’t know what Kimmich is still waiting for, what little details are involved. There is no other club that can offer him better prospects than Bayern."

Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel

Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!

By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.

To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!

If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.