Real Madrid join Joshua Kimmich race amid ongoing Bayern Munich contract impasse

Real Madrid have joined Barcelona in the race to sign Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich amid his ongoing contract impasse with the club, according to Sky Sport Germany.

Kimmich's renewal has been a priority for Bayern as the German midfielder's contract is set to expire at the end of the ongoing season, but an agreement still seems far away.

Bayern Munich are keen to reduce their wage bill ahead of the next season, with sporting director Max Eberl at the heart of the operation. Stars such as Leroy Sane have been requested to reduce their salary by €2-4 million gross annually, while Kimmich, who is one of the highest earners in the squad with a gross salary of €20 million per year, has also been asked to adjust his salary by a few million euros by Eberl.

As things stand, Bayern Munich and Kimmich seem to have reached a contract impasse. The Bavarians consider Kimmich absolutely crucial for the present and the future, but also stare at the possibility of losing him for free next summer. In six weeks' time, he could already enter pre-contract negotiations with other clubs. One of those clubs is reported to be Real Madrid, who want to add an experienced figure to their ranks.

Madrid are having concerns over the form of Aurelien Tchouameni, who has experienced an underwhelming start to the season. Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Frenchman, and with Luka Modric's likely departure at the end of the current campaign, Real Madrid believe Kimmich could be the perfect player to bring to the Bernabeu.

Los Blancos are, however, not the only side in contention. Barcelona have long been linked with a move for Kimmich and are pretty much still in the race to snap him up. Premier League clubs, too, are hovering for an opportunity to sign the soon-to-be 30-year-old.

If Kimmich doesn't ink a new deal with Bayern Munich before January, things could get interesting as he would be free to talk to clubs over a possible summer switch. Before that, though, the German international will be aiming to help Bayern continue their run at the top of the Bundesliga table when they host Augsburg on Friday, November 22.