Crystal Palace are lining up a move for the US international Chris Richards. Florian Plettenburg, a Sky Germany journalist, confirmed on Twitter that the Eagles have reached a verbal agreement with Bayern Munich for the transfer. There is only one thing left to do: reach a transfer fee agreement between Bayern and Palace.
The USMNT star isn’t on Bayern Munich’s roster since they’re about to add Matthijs de Ligt to team up with Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Hernandez in defence. As a result, Richards has been trying to leave the Allianz Stadium, and Crystal Palace has emerged as his top market suitor. Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen, who are now regulars in Patrick Vieira’s team, were acquired by the Eagles last summer, bolstering their defence.
The 22-year-old signed for the Bavarian Giants in 2018 from MLS side Dallas FC. Richards managed to feature in just 10 matches for Bayern Munich’s first team. He was loaned out to their league rivals, Hoffenheim, where he spent 18 months. He continuously participated in all competitions for Hoffenheim, which eventually aided in his growth into a competent center-back. There have been rumours that Bayern could include Richards in a trade for David Raum of Hoffenheim, but since the player is already under contact with Palace, it would rule out the transfer.
Patrick Viera has done a fantastic job of improving Crystal Palace. Although their preferred defensive pair is settled, the Eagles are lacking a decent backup. Tomkins is 33 years of age, and his age is reflected in his match performance. Palace does not have to break its bank in bringing the Americans to Selhurst Park. In the past few seasons, Richards has turned into a decent defender, especially aerially. He also has the knack for tackling to break the flow of the opposition. He has also been used as a ball-playing center-back because of his good vision and passing range.
