What Joshua Kimmich has said about Bayern Munich future after Liverpool transfer approval

Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich is a name regularly linked with a move to the Premier League, no more so than this summer amid uncertainty over his future in Germany.

The Bavarians are in the market for a new midfielder this window with Fulham's Joao Palhinha seemingly their number one target. The Portugal international was close to joining Bayern last summer before the deal collapsed.

Kimmich's future at the Allianz Arena has been unknown for some time after both parties continued to agree on a new deal. The German midfielder has just 12 months left on his deal and Liverpool are reportedly one of the clubs keeping tabs on his situation.

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As well as the Reds, Kimmich would reportedly consider joining Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid. The delay in any extension of his stay in Germany means a move could materialise this summer.

Here, the ECHO brings you what the midfielder has said about his future in the past.

Focus on Bayern

Speaking in April, Kimmich suggested that his focus was on Bayern and nothing else. Speaking to AS, he said: "I want to talk to Bayern. And when I do that, I won't go out and talk to the press about it. I'm only focused on the two games against Real Madrid."

On links with Barcelona: "At the moment I'm not thinking about this. As I already said, I will speak to Bayern first. But of course, Barcelona and Real Madrid are amazing clubs with an amazing history."

Kompany impact

In the same interview, Kimmich claimed that the club is more important as who the next head coach is when deciding to sign a new contract. Vincent Kompany has since been appointed at the Allianz Arena.

"I know that when you sign a contract you don't sign it with the coach. You sign it with the club. For me, the most important thing is the club, not just the coach.

"But of course, it's also important to know what the coach thinks about you and the team. Other people in the club worry about choosing the coach."

Bayern's decision

After Bayern fell short in the Bundesliga and Champions League, Kimmich continued to claim that a decision over his future isn't just on him. "It doesn't just depend on me," he said. "What does the club want?

"FC Bayern remains my first point of contact, talks will take place about my future. I've still one year left on my contract."

Latest stance

The latest from Kimmich was earlier this month when he spoke to Süddeutsche Zeitung. After being asked where he will be playing his football next season, he said: "Oh, great question. Well, the situation is absolutely clear: I have a contract with FC Bayern until 2025, so it's not mainly up to me to be active right now. My focus is solely on the European Championship, and after that there will be a conversation."

On Bayern's hierarchy, he added: "We are all adults. There are new people in charge now, and any misunderstandings can always be cleared up in a personal conversation. That's why I'm relatively open about that. I don't think I need to symbolically show my identification with the club. The people and the club's officials see that every day - and that's what matters."