Kimmich Still a Free Agent

Update: Joshua Kimmich wore Adidas Samba OG boots during the photo shoot for the Bayern Munich 125th anniversary campaign, a sign that Kimmich is not yet back with Nike and is still a free agent.

In an interesting development, Joshua Kimmich's footwear choices have been raising eyebrows in the past few days. Here's what we know.

Kimmich Wears Latest Nike Mercurial Soccer Cleats

Kimmich was spotted wearing the latest Nike Mercurial colorway during both Champions League matches against Celtic. However, he wore blacked-out old Mercurials (badly blacked-out, as the black is almost completely off meanwhile) in the Bundesliga match between the two UCL fixtures, continuing a pattern that has been ongoing for several months.

Notably, before matches, Kimmich has been wearing lifestyle shoes from Autry rather than Nike sneakers. This is particularly telling, as Nike athletes typically embrace the brand's lifestyle products consistently. Adding another layer to the situation, Kimmich has recently appointed Thomas Beheshti, former DFB team manager, as his new marketing advisor, effective January 1.

Kimmich is also the captain of the German national team, which will be taken over by Nike in 2027. Signing Kimmich again could add yet another layer to the Nike-Germany partnership.

Germany Announces Nike Kit Deal

The mixed signals - wearing new Nike boots in UCL but sticking to blacked-out versions in Bundesliga, combined with non-Nike lifestyle choices - suggest the situation remains fluid. Usually, when players secure new Nike deals, they fully embrace the brand both on and off the pitch.

We'll keep tracking Kimmich's footwear choices in the coming weeks. There might be some significant developments soon.

Do you think Kimmich will sign a new deal with Nike? Let us know in the comments below.