Kimmich - hailed by Julian Nagelsmann as a "world-class" deep-sitting midfielder - is perhaps cut from a similar cloth from a ball-playing perspective, having achieved an exemplary 90.3% career average for pass completion, as per WhoScored, also averaging 2.1 key passes per game, club and country.

The Spanish coach is the main candidate to replace Ancelotti at Real Madrid.

Xabi Alonso has identified Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz as his top transfer target should he become the new Real Madrid manager.