by SCIAG »
26 May 2021 11:00
Stranded muirinho Hendo
Different for OOC players? Although not sure if Upamecano is? Who knows?!
Upamecano is actually a transfer - they've agreed to buy him. (€42.5 million). But they're not buying Richards, so that may be why they are waiting till after his contract runs out.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56060273
Plenty of domestic deals for OOC players already being announced - thinking Collins to Cardiff, Malone and the Hull keeper to Millwall - would be surprised if it is a different rule for international deals.
May just be a decision by Bayern not to announce or it could be they can't/won't announce it until work permits etc are cleared - not sure on the work permit rules over here post Brexit but it may be they are having to put a specific case forward for him as he is English but not exactly a top end player - so could understand not making an announcement until the paperwork there is done - possible that that can't even start until he is no longer a Reading player.
Germany has no restrictions on foreign (non-EU) players.
If anything, Bayern should be less restricted about announcing Richards than British clubs about signings from other British clubs. The rules for international transfers are much more liberal than domestic transfers. Bayern could have approached Richards six months before his contract expired to sign a binding pre-contract, but Chelsea could only do so much closer to expiry (can’t remember if it is one or three months).
My best guess, assuming reports are accurate, is that it is about PR. Big signing from Leipzig arriving with his club’s blessing? Announce it, it’s good news. Small signing from Reading arriving without his club’s blessing? Not much to be gained from announcing it, might consider that the right thing to do is to try and minimise disruption at the “selling” club to avoid harming any goodwill later (for example, if they want to sign the next Olise).