by Sutekh »
06 Jan 2021 13:40
From Despair To Where? WestYorksRoyal From Despair To Where?
I think getting regular football at the top end of the Championship is better long-term for his career than being a bit part player in a stronger league.
Agree in most cases, but a chance to join Bayern is huge. Training with some of the best players in the world, experience of being part of a massive club. Possibly some loans to lower Bundesliga teams. Even if he only makes 2 or 3 cup appearances, it could be a good move for him.
I'd weigh that up against the possibility of getting all that and more in a year's time if he's playing regularly and continuing to develop.
It's a low risk punt for Bayern but for every Andy Rinomhota, there's 3 or 4 Rowan Liburds.
Rowan Liburd, I remember him, he’s 28 now and playing for Welling United in the NLS.
Omar Richards (born in Lewisham) was 15 when he joined Reading’s academy in 2013 (after being released by Fulham) so has been with the club for 8 years or so, therefore may well see himself almost as “Reading” as it’s possible for a player to be given he’s obviously worked at his game and been rightly given his chance to make the left back spot his own at the club now.
Issue is really the fact that the supposed interest in him is from the likes of Everton and Bayern Munich. One club is always going to be a PL club and one that does allow a fair amount of youth to flourish while the other is a world renown club that actually does win things in Europe and so if the supposed interest is followed up it’s always going to be extremely difficult for Reading to hang on to him.
Club are rightly in the midst of negotiation with Omar and his agent to see if a worthwhile offer can be made on a new deal but that will take time if there really is interest from the aforementioned clubs. Even if the interest is real those clubs may still choose to leave any move to the summer when Omar is out of contract and therefore Omar may well choose to do the same over any new deal Reading offer.
Any player, whether Reading born or not, is going to want test themselves at the highest level they can get to so, given where Reading are in the scheme of things currently, this is where the “feel good” factor at the club needs to be at its highest, and since Gomes left (and supposedly even more so since VP joined) it certainly seems to be well on the way, to make the decision as difficult as possible. But just imagine you’re in the same position as Omar what would you choose to do?
Obviously if Reading were to somehow jam promotion out of this season then it should become that much easier to persuade Omar to stay at the club - anyone got a TARDIS going spare so the club can check out the next couple of seasons?