Talks held: Parish and Freedman at work to sign 'athletic freak'; he's keen on Palace move

Crystal Palace are in talks over a move for Bayern Munich defender Chris Richards, according to The Daily Mail.

Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman have managed to bring in three new players so far this summer ahead of Patrick Vieira’s second season in charge at Selhurst Park.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and winger Malcolm Ebiowei have joined on free transfers, while midfielder Cheick Doucoure has cost the club £21m.

More new faces could well be on the way; and Richards – who was hailed as an ‘athletic freak’ by former USA national team scout Thomas Rongen – could be next to join the Premier League club.

The Daily Mail shared a Palace transfer update on Monday evening regarding Richards.

They revealed that the Eagles are in talks to sign the defender, who is keen on a move to Selhurst Park if an agreement can be reached between the two clubs.

Richards, who has six caps for the United States, is primarily a centre-back but can also play as a full-back if required.

Vieira could do with a versatile defender ahead of the new campaign, as he has just four senior centre-backs.

One of those is Nathan Ferguson, who has made just one Palace appearance in two years due to a number of long-term injury issues. Another is James Tomkins, who at 33 is into the twilight stage of his career.

Tyrick Mitchell is also the only left-back available to Vieira at this moment in time, so bringing in Richards, who can play in multiple areas, would appear to be a smart decision.

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