Richards link puts Latics on alert

Photo: Picture: courtesy PA

MICAH Richards (left) has talked of his frustration at missing out on first-team chances at City.

ATHLETIC could be in line for a £4million cash bonanza, should Manchester City’s Micah Richards make a move to Chelsea.

A fee of £20million has been mooted as the cost to take the player — who spent five years with Athletic’s centre of excellence from the age of nine — from Eastlands to Stamford Bridge.

Richards was quoted last week talking of his frustration at missing out on first-team opportunities due to competition from Jerome Boateng and Pablo Zabaleta.

“I want to be somewhere where I’m kicking a ball every week,” said the 22-year-old, who was linked in the weekend’s national press to a big-money move to the capital and who missed out on yesterday’s 2-2 FA Cup draw at Leicester City with a back injury. See Page 32.

Athletic have a 20-per-cent sell-on clause built into the deal which originally took Richards to City.

And a large cash windfall would have a massive beneficial impact on a club struggling financially since the pre-season departure of New York-based bosses Simon Blitz and Danny Gazal.

Last October, Athletic revealed a £1.524m loss for the year ended December, 2009, an increase of £414,000 on the previous 12 months according to accounts filed at Companies House.

And the figures for 2010 are likely to make no less grim reading as crowds fell to record low levels at Boundary Park.

The current transfer window closes on February 2.