It's been promising, to say the least, at Anfield this season, with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool putting the troubles of last year behind them and forging ahead with some compelling performances to tantalise a silver-laden end to the campaign.
Klopp has won nearly every trophy available since his appointment on Merseyside way back when, and while last year's failure to qualify for the Champions League was a bruising blow, it does mean that the German can complete the full gamut with victory in the Europa League.
Liverpool have topped their Europa League group with a match to spare and will host West Ham United in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals later this month; they are third in the Premier League and just two points off leaders Arsenal.
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The resurgence was facilitated following the full-scale reshaping of the midfield, with a mass Anfield exodus making space for Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo to assume central roles – both literally and figuratively.
Liverpool still lack a specialist No. 6, however, with Endo industrious and eager but perhaps lacking some of the quality to truly cement a starting berth.
As such, none other than Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich appears to have been lined up for transfer…
Liverpool transfer news – Joshua Kimmich
According to respected BILD journalist Christian Falk, Liverpool are among the host of European outfits interested in signing Kimmich from the indomitable Bundesliga champions.
Falk claims that Klopp knows the Germany international's strengths and would be only too happy to welcome him to the Liverpool fold, where his specific style would 'suit' the Reds.
Valued at £46m by Football Transfers, the 28-year-old pass master would be a fantastic addition to Liverpool's squad as they look to take the next step in their revival.
Joshua Kimmich's style of play
Kimmich has been a salient midfielder at the top of the European game for many years now, signing for Bayern from Stuttgart for an undisclosed fee as a teenager in 2015.
Since then, he has chalked up 365 appearances for the Bavarian giants, posting 40 goals and 100 assists and winning the full sweep of silverware, including the Champions League.
As per FBref, Kimmich ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for passes attempted and the top 4% for progressive passes per 90.
Effectively, this showcases his celestial brilliance with his distribution; always on the ball and influencing the play, finding teammates in the danger area and racking up direct assists himself.
Simply sublime technically, in his decision-making and with his commitment on the pitch, Kimmich has even led the likes of renowned manager Jose Mourinho to make lavish remarks over his skill set.
Mourinho said: "I see him as a top right-back, left-back, centre-back, No.6, No.8, No.10… he has the qualities to be anything!
"I think he looks to me, very intelligent related to football, very intelligent, understands the moments of the games and understands the difference between positions and understands what he has to do here and what he has to do there. I think he’s phenomenal, an absolutely phenomenal player."
This season, Kimmich has completed 18 matches across all competitions and racked up six assists, captaining the side on multiple occasions from his favoured defensive midfield placement.
As per Sofascore, the £375k-per-week midfield machine has started ten times in the German top-flight this season, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 2.6 key passes per game, making 1.9 tackles and 6.4 ball recoveries each outing and generally just providing his teammates with superlative leadership and inspiration.
Considered to be "the embodiment of world-class" by former Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who also noted his "profound understanding of the game", Kimmich is currently out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 season, and while a renewal is certainly not out of the question, outfits are circling like vultures and he might be swayed to try his hand elsewhere.
Why Liverpool perhaps shouldn't sign Kimmich
Now, the 82-cap Germany international is distinguished and rightly considered among the finest of his position worldwide, but Liverpool might be wise to remember the acquisition of Thiago Alcantara several years ago when pondering over whether to issue a swoop.
Thiago, aged 32, signed for Liverpool from Bayern for £25m in 2020, arriving as one of Europe's most spectacular maestros and boasting a wealth of illustrious experience in Germany and in his native Spain with Barcelona.
Very Strong
Strong
Passing
Dribbling
Aerial duels
Key passes
Tackling
Interceptions
*Sourced via WhoScored
To emphasise the point of his passing proficiency, he ranks among the top 5% of midfielders for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 8% for successful take-ons, the top 11% for tackles and the top 5% for interceptions per 90.
Alas, the £200k-per-week star's skills have shone through too little too often, with injuries ravaging his chances of impacting proceedings for sustained periods; this term, he has yet to make a single matchday appearance.
While Kimmich boasts greater reliability – he has played more than 25 times in every Bundesliga campaign since 2015/16 – he will be 30 years old by the end of next season and Klopp might question whether parting with a large sum on an ageing player, going against the club's model, would be prudent.
With the likes of Andre on Liverpool's radar and Endo, aged 30, already being signed as a stop-gap option in the centre, perhaps it's not the best idea.
Liverpool would be wise to invest in younger, more malleable options who can be nurtured and shaped under Klopp's guidance, with Thiago even serving as a mentor until his contract expires in June.