After a minor injury at the start of pre-season training, Chris Richards returned to action on Saturday in the first pre-season game against FC Koln. Richards featured in the starting lineup, partnering new arrival Dayot Upamecano in the heart of the defense. Even though he started pre-season with Bayern Munich, his immediate future lies away from the club.
Chris Richards has been tipped to go back to Hoffenheim for a loan move after enjoying a considerable amount of playing time in the second half of the season. However, this move may happen late in the window.
According to Kicker (via GGFN), Die Roten will be delaying the loan move of Richards due to injuries in the first-team squad. Hoffenheim is interested in signing him on loan or permanently. The German Champions wants to keep him with the squad for few weeks after Lucas Hernandez was ruled out for the first league game of the season due to a knee injury. Apart from Hernandez, Alphonso Davies has also been ruled out for the start of the season due to a serious injury.
Rekordmeister may try to keep Chris Richards until other senior players return to the training later this month. The senior players returning from vacation may need some time to get back the rhythm, so keeping Richards around for few more weeks makes sense for Die Roten.
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Julian Nagelsmann has plenty of options in the center-back department despite Hernandez’s injury. Upamecano and Nianzou Kouassi will feature in all pre-season games, which will improve their chances of starting the first game of the season.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Pavard and Niklas Sule are also options in the central defense when they return from vacation. Pavard has been playing in the right-back position for Rekordmeister, but his primary position is in the heart of the defense. Sule’s future is up in the air as he enters the final year of the contract, with talks with Nagelsmann reportedly scheduled later this month.
Chris Richards will not be getting considerable game time in the first team if he ends up staying beyond this transfer window. The youngster would be better served with another year on loan at Hoffenheim. His last spell at the club was productive due to consistent playing time.
Die Roten will be looking to extend the contract of Richards before he goes out on loan. His current deal is set to end in 2023, but his development in the last 18 months might force the club to tie him down to a longer deal.