The Premier League is calling for Chris Richards with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Chelsea eyeing Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga wonderkid.
Arsenal are looking to snatch highly-rated USA defender Chris Richards away from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, according to The Mirror (30 March, page 57).
A man born in Birmingham (Alabama, not the Midlands) might not follow in the footsteps of Christian Pulisic, Giovani Reyna and co after all. The all-American superkid swapped FC Dallas for Bayern Munich in 2018 but it seems that FC Hollywood could lose one of it’s most talented up-and-comers before he has even made his big screen debut.
Arsenal and London rivals Chelsea have taken an interest in adding another giant European club to Richards’ already sparkling CV – though Bayern hold all the cards given that the 19-year-old is under contract until 2023.
A centre-half who has made a name for himself on the right-hand side for Bayern’s reserve team in the third tier of German football, Richards has earned comparisons with World Cup winner Jerome Boateng, not just for his superb defensive skills but also for his exceptional passing range.
“He’s a very talented player,” Bayern legend, and former president, Uli Hoeness told the Bundesliga’s website.
Time will tell whether Richards will push for a move this summer or stick around and try to force his way into Hansi Flick’s starting XI in the manner of another North American starlet, the Canadian left-back Alphonso Davies.
Both Mikel Arteta and Frank Lampard have shown a refreshing commitment to youth since taking over at Arsenal and Chelsea respectively and, given that The Gunners are a little short of quality in all defensive positions, the versatile Richards could be a valuable addition.
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