Bayern Munich have dipped into the Championship for the latest addition to their star-studded squad.
Omar Richards has played less than 100 games in his career, and all in the second tier of English football.
But the Reading defender has today agreed a four-year contract with the 31-time German champions, joining on a free transfer. In a possible sign of how highly they rate Richards, he has been awarded the number three shirt - previously worn by Xabi Alonso.
After joining, the 23-year-old spoke of his delight at joining last year's Champions League winners.
He said: "My move to FC Bayern is a great honour for me. A dream has come true.
"I’m proud to be wearing the shirt of one of the world's biggest clubs. I hope I can help the team continue to be successful in the future. My thanks to the management at FC Bayern for their trust.
"Our conversations were very convincing. I can't wait to be on the pitch for Bayern. Mia san mia!”
Bayern's board director of sport and ex-midfielder Hasan Salihamidžić said of the acquisition: “We’re delighted Omar is coming to FC Bayern.
"Omar is a technically gifted player on the left side of defence. He finds good solutions going forward, he’s very alert and we trust him to play a good role in our team.”
Richards will officially join Bayern on July 1. This season saw them seal a record ninth consecutive Bundesliga title.
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