as a numbers game, it was highly unlikely he would go from alabama, rejected by fc dallas, beat fc dallas, sign with fc dallas, be picked out by bayern scouts to sign with munich, impress with the united states u19s, move up to u20s, be one of the best u20 cbs at u20 world cup, play with bayern in the icc, play 30 games for their reserve team, and make his debut within 2 years.
maybe whats his name from atleti too, still the broader point holds that expecting young center backs to play for the biggest clubs on teh biggest stages is a rare occurrence
You could put together an almost identical timeline for like, Gedion Zelalem. It doesn't mean anything.
That interest in him from those clubs has been there for a while. I remember reading an article about this from a while ago, although I believe Valencia is new. I don't see him wanting to leave Bayern anytime soon because their CBs play a game that is very well suited to his particular skill set. The third league is too low for him though. You can see him becoming lackadaisical on the field because it's not much of a challenge to him anymore. In the second to last match, I remember watching him concede a goal to a pretty washed up player because he lost focus. His positioning also isn't as sharp as it needs to be at the Bayern level, due to the highline they play, but those are obviously traits that can be worked out in his game. It will be very interesting to see what happens with him next season. Surely Bayern knows that another season with the second team won't suffice for his growth, let alone in challenging him to raise his game.
Hope he stays patient and gives (dare I say trusts?) the BM hierarchy at least until January. He either starts seeing more bench and occasional 1st team appearances or after 6 months weighs loan options. Perspective as a USMNT fan is a funny thing. Arguing over Chelsea, Arsenal and Valencia rumors, even if just that, for a young CB already at BM is so nice to see after 2 decades as a fan. And by the way, as a dual nat and German speaker myself, the questions around his ceiling were calibrated more to right back where earlier in the season he spent a decent amount of time.
As the old saying goes, if you've been burnt 25 times by Yanks abroad prospects, you are 250 times shy.
The difference with Gio is he was brought up through their academy and had clear signs that he was ready for minutes. Plus Dortmund is known to integrate top academy talent. A lot actually thought Pulisic to Chelsea was a bit of a lateral move. The teams listed are too high of a level for a loan. We don’t think he can’t make it to those teams, we just don’t think he can perform at those teams right now. My guess is they’re all looking to purchase and loan. If the clubs listed were high 2nd division/low first division performers in their respective leagues then I’d consider them as strong loan destinations.
He is no Ferrari or Szetela. Whether Reyna is Bayern level nobody knows as well whether Richards is BVB level.
Valencia has been a mess defensively. They brought up a player from the B squad (20 years old), and he started a few games since the restart. They will be on the market for some help this summer.
Like Richards, CCV and Miazga were both considered top CB prospects for the US. Like Richards, they also had great U20 World Cups. Like Richards, both had a cup of coffee on the first team roster at a top club. But both have fizzled out. Let's hope Richards does better.
Hansi Flick will have a meeting with Bayern campus manager Jochen Sauer to discuss the situation of the youth players. In focus, among others, is defender Chris Richards. The American has attracted interest from Bundesliga clubs [Kicker]— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) July 8, 2020
I sound like a pessimist on this thread, but I actually think all of this is great news. If he his purchased by a Bundesliga club for a decent number (I value him at $10-$15 million), he will get to play and prove himself.
Chris was one of the better players at the U20 World Cup, for any team. CCV and Miazga's limitations were obvious even back then. There is no comparison between those guys and Chris. The way Bayern has treated him throughout his tenure (stuff that's known ere and not known) speaks of someone they expect to play for their first team.
I think he would do really well at a team like Leverkeusen playing a high line given shh athleticism and recovery abilities.