Liverpool have been given a helping hand in their bid to sign Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, with a soon-to-be-announced £47million transfer making the midfielder more likely to leave this summer.

Kimmich is currently on international duty, as he looks to help Germany win the Euros in their own country. The 29-year-old has played a full 90 minutes in all four of Germany’s matches so far, as they finished top of Group A with seven points before beating Denmark 2-0 in the round of 16.

That victory over Denmark has set up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash against Spain which will take place today (Friday) in Stuttgart.

Kimmich has been operating at right-back under Julian Nagelsmann to make room for German icon Toni Kroos in midfield. But Kimmich is a top midfielder in his own right, capable of shining either as a No 6 or No 8.

On Sunday, it emerged that new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has made Kimmich’s signing a ‘priority’ as he is determined to bring in an elite replacement for Wataru Endo in the defensive midfield role.

According to an update from the Liverpool Echo, Slot will soon have a much better chance of capturing the 90-cap international as Bayern are poised to confirm his replacement.

The German heavyweights are set to sign Fulham’s midfield enforcer Joao Palhinha in a £47m transfer, having agreed a four-year contract with the Portugal star.

Palhinha’s move to the Allianz Arena will be confirmed after Euro 2024. The 28-year-old originally hoped to join Bayern last summer, only for Fulham to block the deal as they could not land a replacement before the transfer deadline.

Liverpool transfers: Joshua Kimmich signing boost

Bayern have not come up against the same barrier this time around though, and Palhinha will help the Bavarians as they try to regain the Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen.

The £47m outlay on Palhinha means Bayern will be more likely to sell one or two players this summer in order to recoup some funds. And there is a crucial reason why Kimmich could be one of the first to depart.

Kimmich’s Bayern contract expires in June 2025 and an agreement over an extension appears very unlikely to happen. The eight-time Bundesliga winner is keen to take part in a different challenge, while Bayern are ready to go in a new direction with Palhinha in their midfield instead.

Kimmich has been linked with several Premier League clubs in the last 12 months, as well as Spanish titans Barcelona and Real Madrid. But it seems Slot is determined to see Liverpool win the race for the Euro 2024 ace and elevate their midfield to another level.