Bayern Munich has completed the signing of American defender Chris Richards to a 4½-year deal for his transfer from FC Dallas of the MLS to the Bundesliga giant.
The 18-year-old from Hoover, Ala., finalized the permanent move to the Allianz Arena after impressing in a loan spell with the Under-19 side.
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Terms were not announced.
"I've always dreamt of playing for a big European club, and now I'm at one of the world's top teams. I'm really happy," Richards told Bayern's official website.
Bayern campus manager Jochen Sauer said: "We are very happy that we have agreed Chris' transfer from Dallas.
"Chris has represented us very well in the last six months and we are convinced that he will continue to develop well here at Bayern. We see great potential in him."
Richards' arrival was described as "a landmark moment" for Bayern's development partnership with the MLS side by the Bavarian giants' president of the Americas, Rudolf Vidal.
"Just under a year ago, we entered a partnership with Dallas to create pathways to professional soccer in the US and Europe for young players. To be able to announce the transfer of a player today is a landmark moment for all involved," he said.
#FCBayern signs Chris Richards from @FCDallas!
— FC Bayern US (@FCBayernUS) January 24, 2019
https://t.co/Q6WsE9SlBv pic.twitter.com/p8OcYEbsbR
“Chris Richards is a phenomenal talent with a bright future ahead of him,” FC Dallas president Dan Hunt said (via the MLS team's website). “We’re proud to develop players who can play for one of the sport’s most successful clubs. Chris’ transfer reflects our commitment to our philosophy of grooming players at the local level who can compete on a global stage.”
