Latics monitor Micah interest

ATHLETIC could be set for a cash windfall if Manchester City decide to sell Micah Richards.

Boundary Park officials are closely monitoring the situation as speculation continues about the future of the 20-year-old defender.

Aston Villa are the latest club to be linked with a summer £7million move for Richards, who has made 126 first-team appearances for City and won 11 full caps for England.

As Athletic are entitled to a 20-per-cent cut of any transfer fee, they could be in line for a £1.4m payout if such a move materialises.

That would be a welcome addition to the coffers at Athletic, though much smaller than they had hoped.

When Richards, who was at Athletic’s centre of excellence between the ages of nine and 14, first emerged in a blaze of glory at City he was bracketed in the £25million category.

That would have earned Athletic a £5m sum which would have made a massive impact on the finances at Boundary Park.

But even £1.4m would be a welcome at a time when the club has been forced to cut its playing budget for the 2009/10 season due to the economic meltdown.

The influx of further funds might provide new manager Dave Penney with extra scope to make signings and mount a serious challenge for promotion.

Athletic have already received some compensation from City, who snatched Richards from them almost seven years ago.

There was an initial payment and since then there have been further sums marking his breakthrough into the first team and appearances for England.

Former Athletic manager John Sheridan is being linked with the managerial vacancy at Barnsley, who yesterday parted company with Simon Davey.

Sheridan could also be in the running for the posts at Stockport, whose manager Jim Gannon has been made redundant by the club’s administrators, and Chesterfield, who have parted company with former Athletic midfield man Lee Richardson after two years.

Athletic remind fans that season tickets have been on sale for just over a week. They are hoping to make a big push because if the figure of 4,500 is reached, each fan will receive £70 cash back.

The club, which currently has about 3,300 season-ticket holders, has frozen prices for the last four years.