Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that he can get his team firing straight from the word go as the Premier League season looms ever closer.
The Dutchman lost his opening two league games last season, and it could have threatened his tenure before it even began, yet the club bounced back and secured Champions League football via a third-place finish while even winning the League Cup.
Andre Onana and Mason Mount have joined the Old Trafford side and now the onus is on Ten Hag to improve his squad for the challenges ahead.
Could Manchester United sign Joshua Kimmich?
According to reports in Spain, the Red Devils are keen on signing the German international from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
With two years left on his current contract, Thomas Tuchel may feel that this is the last big chance to secure a major transfer fee for the 28-year-old, thus allowing United to potentially swoop in for him.
He currently earns £322k-per-week at the Bundesliga giants and this type of wage would certainly put him among the top bracket of earners should he join United.
How good is Joshua Kimmich?
Having joined the club in 2015, Kimmich has since gone on to make close to 350 appearances for the Bavarian side, winning eight Bundesliga crowns while lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020 and there is a reason why he is being courted by United.
Kimmich has become an integral part of the Bayern juggernaut over the years, and he is also statistically similar to Toni Kroos, suggesting he could be a wonderful addition at Old Trafford.
According to FBref, the Real Madrid star is the first-most similar player to Kimmich across Europe’s top five leagues in terms of statistical profile, and considering how revered Kroos is due to his longevity and success at the highest level, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.
The previous 365 days have seen the two midfielders register similar statistics when it comes to pass completion percentage (90.9% to 84.3%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.3 to 4.55) and progressive passes (319 to 315), demonstrating just how effective they are at constantly circulating the ball, and they try and create plenty of chances for others to score.
Kimmich ranks in the top 1% compared to positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (9.87), while Kroos also ranks in the top 1% for the same metric, achieving 12.22 progressive passes per minute and the similarities don’t end there.
WhoScored states that Kimmich and Kroos both list passing and key passes as major strengths, while they both exude similar styles of play in that they enjoy shooting from a distance, also playing long balls often during matches.
Legendary manager Jose Mourinho once lauded him for his positional versatility, saying:
"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.”
If Ten Hag manages to get this move done before the end of the transfer window, it could turn into a resounding success, especially with the similarities to Kroos, who has been one of the finest midfielders in Europe over the previous decade.