Half the tale: Efficiency first

Joshua Kimmich was playing in Germany’s second tier when Pep Guardiola and Bayern Munich came calling.

Naturally, the emerging talent jumped at the opportunity to join one of the behemoths of world football, though his excitement was tempered by some degree of bewilderment.

“I was 20 years old, playing in the second division. I was like, ‘Why do they want to get me when they can have every player in the world?’”

At the point of joining Die Roten, Kimmich had made 55 appearances for RB Leipzig, as the club rose through the Germany pyramid, and for 53 of those outings, he had been deployed as a midfielder.

He bolstered that midfield well, gaining a reputation as an efficient tackler, while his distribution was neat and astute.

In the time-honoured fashion for such a role, the player controlled the game as best he could when in possession, and snapped and harried the opposition when deprived of the ball.

Certainly, therefore, Bayern signed him for his footballing acumen, a skillset that impressed, especially from one so young.

Yet what makes the story of Joshua Kimmich so unique and fascinating is that this only tells half the tale.

Intuitively, Guardiola had spied something more to his game, and from the young man responsible for it. Something much more.

The transition begins  

The story begins with a switch to centre-back, a situation partly precipitated by injuries but the Catalan Grandmaster unquestionably had other, more obvious, options than to reimagine into the heart of his defence a young player who stood at 5ft 10, with a slight build, who had never before played in that position.

To Guardiola though, such supposed hindrances were irrelevant. The nascent talent he had identified from the second tier possessed exceptional game-intelligence along with a heightened level of spatial awareness that was innate. Moreover, he listened, absorbed the information given, and acted upon it in the correct manner.

The elite coach had been around long enough to know this was a rare trait in any player, great or good.

On several occasions, across Kimmich’s early years at Bayern, Guardiola would race onto the pitch on the final whistle and maniacally offer feedback regarding the minutiae of the player’s performance. When he should have gone there. What he should have done then.

A good while later it was put to Kimmich that these public tutorials may have been annoying, but his response was revealing.

“He always told you straightaway what you can do to improve. In training as well. As a young player it's important that you have a manager that pays attention to these things.”

In the second half of Kimmich’s inaugural campaign in Bavaria he was deployed at centre-back on 15 occasions across all competitions. Four of these games were critical latter-round ties in the Champions League against Juventus and Benfica.

A master of all trades

The following season Kimmich was mainly utilised back in his preferred role in midfield but crucially Guardiola now knew he had a reliable auxiliary centre-back to call upon if needed. This he did on three occasions.

Pertinently, the player was also stationed at right-back four times, the position where he had flourished for Germany that summer at the Euros.

Presently on 115 caps for his country – a team he has captained consistently since 2024 – Kimmich has played right-back 46 times. He has played right-midfield 15 times. As a midfield holder, 39 times.

Where Die Mannschaft most needs his elite skillset, he obliges.

A vital component

Returning to 2016, it is no exaggeration to state that Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich would not have functioned to the levels the Catalan demanded if not for Kimmich. This is true no matter where he happened to be deployed that particular afternoon or evening.

With a dramatically revised Die Roten playing a high press and high defensive line it was vital to have a player blessed with in-game intelligence to anticipate quick transitions that otherwise could have left the German giant exposed.   

So often he ‘mopped up’. So often he read the danger a split-second before it became dangerous.

Kimmich’s ability to do this allowed David Alaba and Rafinha to push forward down the flanks, a pivotal part of the masterplan.

In possession meanwhile, the player’s passing was always progressive and brave, the latter an attribute Guardiola treasures highly in his midfielders.

Indeed, fast-forward to 2021/22 and Kimmich plays more passes into the final third than any other player in the Champions League that season. His expected assists in the competition tops that of Messi’s or what Kylian Mbappe conjures up.

Becoming complete: A stand-out year in numbers

Let’s stay in 2021/22, the stand-out campaign that secured Joshua Kimmich a Ballon d’Or nomination.

By now, of course, Pep Guardiola has departed for Manchester City and Julian Nagelsmann is at the helm, following the trend set by his predecessor by playing Kimmich in various roles.

He plays as a six. He is stationed at right-back. He is advanced as an eight.

And from this diverse positioning comes stats that astound.

No player in a Bayern shirt that term completed more passes, or key passes. After Thomas Müller and Serge Gnabry – attacking individuals both – he created the most chances.

He registers nine assists in the league alone, more than half of which come via set-pieces.

Demonstrating how integral he had become to Bayern’s build-up play, Kimmich averaged 108 touches per 90 across the season. Only two players bettered that in Europe’s big five leagues.

As for his defensive metrics, they were equally as impressive, averaging 1.9 interceptions per 90 and 1.6 tackles.

Add the intangible benefits that derive from his leadership qualities and Kimmich had become Bayern’s driving force and cornerstone rolled into one.

“I love this lad. He’s got absolutely everything.”

So said Pep Guardiola in 2016. And he’s been everything now to Bayern Munich for eleven years and counting.