Bayern Munich: Chris Richards eyes regular place in first team next season

Bayern Munich has increased more efforts on getting top talents from across the globe as transfer fees for top players continue to surge. The German Champions have unearthed a few gems in this process during the past few seasons. Chris Richards is one of the talents that can be considered in this group of young players.

After impressing in Bavaria during his loan spell from FC Dallas, Richards completed a permanent transfer and steadily improved with every passing campaign. He is the first big beneficiary from the partnership between Bayern and FC Dallas for the development of young players.

Richards has made his debut for the senior team in Bavaria. He got a few opportunities here and there before moving out on loan to Hoffenheim in January 2021. The loan move turned out to be brilliant for him as he delivered solid performances in a good amount of playing time at Hoffenheim during the second half of the season.

The young US international did play a few games during pre-season this year, but he eventually returned to Hoffenheim on a season-long loan deal. While talking to Transfermarkt, Richards insisted that getting consistent playing time was crucial this season as he wants to challenge for more appearances for Die Roten’s senior team next season.

"“After playing for the last few months, I had to go somewhere where I was playing. They respected my decision, and they knew that it was the best not just for me but for them as well, as I will hopefully come back with some 30 odd games.”“All I can do now is go back next summer and give them a convincing argument as to why I should be in the starting XI.”"

Richards was well justified to get a loan move sorted last summer since there are four central defenders ahead of him in the senior team. With Niklas Sule likely to leave on a free transfer next summer, Richards can help Die Roten save some money in the market and act as a replacement for Sule in the squad.

The 21-year-old defender has shown a lot of quality in limited opportunities at Die Roten. He played well in center-back and right-back roles under Hansi Flick. Since Julian Nagelsmann likes versatile players, Richards could end up becoming a very good player for Die Roten under him.

Die Roten has endured a hit-and-miss record with loans in the last three seasons. In Richards’ case, they struck gold by finding the right club for him. The presence of Sebastian Hoeness as first-team coach at Hoffenheim might have played a big role in this loan deal. Hoeness had managed Richards in the reserves team at Die Roten. Richards has a long way to go in terms of fulfilling potential in Bavaria, but his thought process and approach towards this target have been spot on.

Even if Richards doesn’t end up playing more regularly at Bayern, his development over the past few seasons will see him become a very good center-back for another team in the top division. The youngster has racked up 510 minutes for Hoffenheim in seven games. Anything more than 2000 minutes for Richards this season will aid his development and eventually help in achieving the target of getting consistent playing time in Bavaria.