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In an “out of nowhere” story, The Telegraph is reporting that Bayern Munich is considering signing Reading FC full-back Omar Richards on a free contract.
Richards’ whose deal with Reading is set to expire in June, would be available to sign a pre-contract with the Bavarians and then move to Germany during the summer:
#FCBayern have made a shock approach to sign Omar Richards from #ReadingFC on a free transfer in the summer. The 22yr-old has six months left on his contract and can discuss a pre-contract with the European champions https://t.co/5kVrtQ828k
— Mike McGrath (@mcgrathmike) January 4, 2021
The big question surrounding this potential move is not as much why, but what does this say for the futures of David Alaba and Jerome Boateng?
With Alphonso Davies entrenched as a starter and Lucas Hernandez able to seamlessly shift out-wide, a move for Richards seems a bit odd considering the squad’s current depth. However, Alaba is almost certain to leave and Boateng is starting to show signs that he might be feeling his age. If true, Bayern Munich’s incentive for pursuing Richards could simply be to add more depth to its roster for 2021/2022.
Richards, though, is just 22 years old and would seemingly still only be the second or third choice at left-back even next season. That does not seem optimal for a player looking to be a starter at a key juncture in his career.
Anyway, Richards has played in 21 games across all competitions this season for Reading FC and has no goals and no assists in 1683 minutes.