In Barcelona‘s search for a successor to club captain Sergio Busquets, Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich has emerged as the Catalan club’s priority target, reported by goal.com. With Busquets set to depart, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is keen to find a suitable replacement for the veteran playmaker, and Kimmich has risen to the top of his wishlist, as reported by RAC1.

The pursuit of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad had been well-documented as Xavi’s preferred option. However, the hefty €60 million release clause and Sociedad’s reluctance to negotiate have posed significant obstacles to the potential transfer. As a result, Barcelona has turned their attention to Kimmich, whose versatility and quality make him an attractive candidate to fill the void left by Busquets.

Although Barcelona is keen on securing Kimmich’s services, they face tough competition from English clubs Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal. The Premier League trio is closely monitoring the German international’s situation, indicating the widespread interest in his talents.