Flick’s dreams shattered with Richards' loan-move to Hoffenheim

manager, Hansi Flick, admitted to keeping an eye on

before the defender joined

on a loan.

The 20-year-old, who had eight appearances with Bayern before making a switch to their Bundesliga rival, hopes to earn a more regular spot with Hoffenheim as Flick waits for his return as a more developed player.

Though Flick was initially against the idea of letting go of Richards, he said:

“I wanted to keep Richards for the remainder of this season, but this move will be good for him so he can continue improving as a player.”

“Bayern has done this in the past with Philipp Lahm and David Alaba, who were loaned to other teams and when they came back they made a huge impact.”

During his time with Bayern Munich, the World Cup winner, Lahm was loaned to

between 2003 and 2005 and the same thing happened to

when he was loaned to Hoffenheim.

Richards hopes to set in the footsteps of the likes of Alaba, who is nearing an exit from Bayern Munich, and prove his worth to the Bundesliga club.

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