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Report: Bayern target Justin Che to stay at FC Dallas for now

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FC Dallas centerback Justin Che enjoyed an impressive first year on loan in Bayern Munich’s player development setup, but the U.S. Men’s National Team prospect’s long-anticipated transfer to the Bundesliga champions is going to have to wait a while.

Che, who spent the past season on loan with Bayern Munich II, has been a target for a permanent deal, but a report from German outlet Bild states Bayern will not be acquiring the 17-year-old defender just yet.

“Justin is a talented young player and we expect him to have a very successful career,” Bayern Munich academy manager Jochen Sauer was quoted as saying in Bild’s report. “But he will remain a FC Dallas player for the time being.”

Che spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich II in the third tier of German football. He made eight appearances and played nearly 600 minutes.

In staying with FC Dallas for the rest of the MLS season, Che may see some first-team playing time for an FCD side currently sitting in last place in the Western Conference. If Che impresses, FC Dallas will have increased leverage for a higher transfer fee.

FC Dallas collected a reported $1.5 million from Bayern for defender Chris Richards in January 2019. Richards, who never played with the FC Dallas first team and spent a year in the FC Dallas academy, eventually won a title with Bayern II before earning a promotion to Bayern’s first team.

This past season, Richards established himself as a Bundesliga starter while on loan with Hoffenheim and has become the subject of transfer rumors while also positioning himself for a potential stay with Bayern, which has a void at centerback after the departures of David Alaba, Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez.

As for Che, he recently took part in his first USMNT camp, impressing Gregg Berhalter. A standout with USL side North Texas last season, Che will now focus on trying to break through with the FC Dallas first team.

Comments

  1. my guess is BM was displeased with being squeezed for a lot more money for a less esteemed player than richards just because they foolishly did not lock in a purchase option price when they converted the winter break trial into a loan. to be fair, business is business, and this is a cautionary tale about agreeing your fee up front (but also look at dike for the downside), but the idea on the partnership is probably not for them to leverage or haggle each other very long but rather to quickly meet in the middle and make deals. i assume one reason this was quickly adjourned is to avoid continued friction. i also think FCD is being foolish if the player comes back from BMII and is allocated to NTSC….his value will drop back down reflecting he’s still a reserve…they should have taken the money.

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    • He’s only what 18? He’ll be fine, this doesn’t mean much right now and it’ll give him a chance to push into the FC Dallas first team where he will gain valuable experience playing first team football in a pretty decent league before going back abroad in the next year or 2!

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      • let’s be real, he was going to be a developmental for either team at this point. given how long Richards took to make first team he was going to spend another couple years at BMII probably. so the question in soccer terms is which developmental situation is better. considering he was playing at BMII, i’d say there. he is in a teachable part of the program at one of the best teams in europe and not being expected to be first team ready yet. people talk up learning from coaching but his situation is where they might actually take the time to do it. if you wait a year or two this pivots to more of a final product purchase and they will expect something ready. i think there is more value to him in being taught there now and FCD’s greed killed it. i grant that Che’s trajectory maps out higher than Richards’ — in theory — but sorry richards would have been seen as one of the best U20s in his USYNT class. because the U20 tournament got canceled because of the pandemic che’s class didn’t get that same platform. as such BM is going to say we have no idea how he handles U20 level play. we kind of like him from the trial and loan but not more than $1.5m like him. maybe if GB had the foresight to stick him on the field in the friendlies or play him with the U23s. but as it is with just the loan they’re probably saying without seeing him above U17 this is what we think he’s worth.

    • I think you’re right about that he can’t go to USL League One but if he’s going to actually play for FCD then it makes sense. Che is actually more esteemed at this point in his career than Richards was when he went over (some of that because there was no North Texas then). When Chris was sold he had only played for Bayern U19s and hadn’t yet gone to the U20 WC. Che would certainly had played for the US U20s if Covid hadn’t canceled the tournament, he was USL League One Best XI last season. The Bayern official’s quote was “he will remain an FCD player in the near term”. He’s not in Bayern’s plan for this season so let him play for FCD and NT in the GC this summer and he moves in Jan. Sounds more like Clark’s deal with Red Bull’s that he will then be transferred to Leipzig when he’s ready.

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      • i think that’s just a factual statement to save face. “we both walk away, he stays in FCD.” BM obviously wanted him or they wouldn’t have sent an offer. they thought they saw something they could tinker with. anyone at NTSC is always looking at competing for FCD time. even someone BM has no interest in. a list of kids went over on the same trial. he is now back in their position. that’s not really progress for him. progress is FCD promotes him or he is sold. to be fair, this may have stirred up the market but that market has a right of first refusal in front of it.

      • Probably better deal for him, and for his development. Increments. I know we all want ’em to go thundering off to Europe and the bigs as soon as possible but that isn’t always the best move, especially so young.

      • quozzel — the whole point is he was at BMII. i called that the “teachable” part of the program because they are probably still focused on learning at that level. i would agree with you if he was being bought for the first team but he never got a jersey number so i assume he’s being bought as a teenager to teach. i do agree that when these teams sign 20+ year old players they are looking for more of a finished product. snobs often act like BM will teach up some 25 year old signed on transfer. then they are buying a final product and expect performance. they drill you in practice. they are not fixing your defense or finishing like a schoolkid. they assess your readiness, they play you or not, and if they think you will sit they loan you out and start treating you like an asset on the accounting books. but to me che is there at the right time — in his teens — to actually get the desired teaching. and compared to ajax or barca they will teach defense at bayern.

    • Richards was sold 6 months before the U20 WC, he was a year and half older than Che at the time of his transfer.

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      • what you’re missing is richards had that platform prior to sale because he was older. FCD is saying, as you are, well, let’s value him based on future trajectory assumptions. BM is likely saying because U20 was canceled we have no idea how he would hack elite level play. we think he looked ok on trial and for BM2 when he played. but the whole point is since U20 worlds never happened he can’t trade on that cachet. richards was on the very good U20 team and could shop how he looked in that context around.

      • No he was sold before the WC. He was under contract with Bayern Munich when he played in the U20 WC. His platform before signing was playing half a season on loan in the Junior A Bundesliga (U19).
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        Che would have been with FCD last season much more but with Covid they kept the two teams separated. He is expected to suit for FCD this weekend he has been training with them since coming back from Europe. You are trying to judge Che by Richards but he was a 1 1/2 years younger than Richards was when he started his Bayern stint in Jan. Richards couldn’t move to be Bayern until he turned 18 and didn’t play Bayern II until 19. When Richards went to trial at Bayern he had only played for FCD Dev. Academy, Che played the whole (although shortened) season in USL 1. Richards was an unknown when he went to Bayern.

    • Also he was promoted to FCD last fall at the end of the season and is expected to suit up on Saturday for the first team not North Texas.

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      • what on earth are you talking about, dude. he ended the season dressing but not playing. but he starts the season that way too and when he played it was at NTSC. he has literally 0 MLS minutes.

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