This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Sun, several Premier League clubs are chasing West Bromwich Albion prospect Rico Richards, which must feel like an all too similar situation for some at the Hawthorns.
What’s the word?
Reports have emerged claiming that Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, and Liverpool are all eyeing up a move for the 16-year-old forward.
The teenager has recently been training with the Baggies’ U23 squad while he has made two appearances for the U18s, including over the weekend, where he played the full 90 minutes in attacking midfield as they defeated Liverpool 6-3, per Transfermarkt.
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He is also able to play on the wing as noted by his former academy manager Mark Harrison in an article that also describes exploits at an international level for England’s U16s in the past.
Richards’ contract expires next year, so the decision-makers at the club will have to soon act on trying to keep hold of one of their most promising youngsters.
Lessons learned?
These links very much have a similar feel to that of Louie Barry and to some extent Morgan Rogers this summer.
Both players were highly-regarded within the club’s youth ranks, yet Albion were powerless to the advances of Barcelona, who Barry rejected a contract for, and Manchester City, who purchased the 17-year-old midfielder for a remarkable £4m.
Richards is the same age as Barry, and although he is yet to start featuring at U18s level fully, he could quite easily match or even better the 16-year-old’s four goals in 16 matches, especially if he’s already bypassed that to train with the next age group up.
It remains to be seen what sort of career Barry will have at the La Liga giants, but that doesn’t mean the club isn’t rueing from the absence of what was one of their brightest prospects.
This emerging saga will truly test whether or not West Brom have learned their lesson as they can’t allow Richards to run down his contract and then leave for ‘free’ like Barry did.