What a strange transfer Richard Meier to Bayern Munich’s U-23s has turned out to be. 21-year-old Meier was never signed to break into Bayern Munich’s first team, though. Instead, following the departures of various leaders at the U-23s (including goal scorer Timo Kern), it was decided that Bayern needed to sign a reliable goal scorer to play up front.
In came Meier, who had bagged 3 goals and 2 assists in around 500 3. Liga and DFB Pokal minutes the previous season. It was a real coup to convince
the talented striker to drop down a division to the fourth tier of German football, but a serious preseason injury forced him to miss the first months of the season.
In that time, fellow new Bayern U-23 transfer Anton Heinz, 27, filled in up front and starred, providing a powerful and dangerous presence up front that delivered lots of goals. He would end up as far and away the Bavarians’ top scorer at the end of the season.
And Meier? He couldn’t find his way back into the team and, when he got a chance to play and Heinz was shunted back to the right of the attack, the offense just looked a lot worse. This resulted in a loan to fellow fourth division side SpVgg Unterhaching in the winter transfer window, just 6 months after signing for Bayern. The loan did not go muc better, though, as Meier scored just one more goal from then until the end of the season.
Competition will not get easier for Meier in the upcoming 2026/27 season, either, as striker Bastian Assomo, 16, joins the U-23s as one of Bayern’s biggest talents. Ergo it is unsurprising that Meier has gone out on loan again, this time to SV Meppen in the 3. Liga. Bayern’s official website has the details:
Center forward Richard Meier will be hunting for goals for SV Meppen next season. The Burg native will be loaned to the newly promoted third-division side for one year. Meier moved from SV Sandhausen to FC Bayern Munich’s reserve team in the summer of 2025 and made 13 appearances (1 goal) in the Regionalliga Bayern during the first half of the 2025/26 season. In the second half of the season, the 22-year-old played 11 matches (1 goal) on loan at SpVgg Unterhaching.
It is good that Meier has found a move to another 3. Liga team. The poor guy clearly joined Bayern having been promised the starting role up front and will have been hugely disappointed at the 2025/26 season. This is his chance to get back on track.
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