City open to cut price offers for Richards

[Wonderwall]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28124256

Micah Richards: Man City will listen to offers for defender

By Mike Keegan
BBC Sport
Manchester City are willing to accept a knockdown fee for Micah Richards.
The defender, 26, made just two Premier League appearances for the club last season and has one year remaining on his contract.
The league champions are open to offers that would include significant add-ons based on appearances, given his injury history.
A source close to Richards said they were relaxed about the situation but acknowledged he was unlikely to stay.
Birmingham-born Richards has been with City since the age of 14 and made his England debut in 2006, aged 18.
He was linked with a £20m move to a host of top clubs in 2011 but a number of injuries and the emergence of Pablo Zabaleta as City's first-choice right-back limited his opportunities.
The arrival of Bacary Sagna on a free transfer from Arsenal appears to have weakened his position still further.
Newcastle United, Liverpool and Arsenal have been linked with a move for Richards in recent weeks and may now step up their interest.

[Moonchesteri]

I hope he stays in Prem but stays out of top 6 clubs. (that's assuming he won't stay with us, ideally i'd give him an extension which is very heavily based on appearances and maybe loan him out to see if he could regain his fitness)

[Alex Sapphire]

that's a post I'd hoped never to see.
Mind we do owe it to him to grease the wheels for the best move for him.
Longest servant. Big heart. Bags of potential that he still needs to deliver if his body will let him

[DoomMerchant]

that's a post I'd hoped never to see.
Mind we do owe it to him to grease the wheels for the best move for him.
Longest servant. Big heart. Bags of potential that he still needs to deliver if his body will let him

1000% agreed. I love the guy. I wish him nothing but the best.

cheers

[Dameerto]

I hope where ever he goes he stays injury-free and gets a lot of match time - the home fans will love him and he will always get a warm welcome at the Etihad.

[Goaters 103]

A move would be the best for him. Has stood still and then regressed at City over the past 3 years.

Good luck to him but as the club, and noticeably Zabba have ascended, Micah hasn't been up to the task.

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

Offering Dedryck Boyata a new contract and possibly letting Micah Richards leave is completely and totally unacceptable!! Boyata is NOT and never will be at an acceptable quality to be a right back or central defender for City! The only reason Boyata gets to stay is that he can qualify as "home grown" and his wages are low. Even on Micah's worst, injury-laden performance, he is still light years ahead of Boyata and has earned the right to be given more time at City! Aside from Micah's qualities as a footballer, his value as a City spokesperson and ambassador is irreplaceable... After all, Micah is the only English player left that has graduated from City's academy and advanced to the first team. City has rightly come under increased criticism for not fielding enough English players and always allowing their best English academy players to leave, rather than graduating at least one to the first team... Micah is the only answer to such criticism. City should NOT be buying any defenders like Bacary Sagna from Arsenal, a team that conceded 6 goals to City!... Even on a free transfer, Sagna is just not good enough for City. If City are going to be foolish enough to let Micah Richards go, after Micah has risked his entire body & soul for the club, then City should at least be selecting from one of the very few teams of defenders that have completely blocked City from scoring every time!

[twosips]

They offered him a new contract but Micah wants to leave for guaranteed first team football. Which he won't get as he's never fit... so it's just one of those things. C'est La Vie.

[JamieMCFC]

Offering Dedryck Boyata a new contract and possibly letting Micah Richards leave is completely and totally unacceptable!! Boyata is NOT and never will be at an acceptable quality to be a right back or central defender for City! The only reason Boyata gets to stay is that he can qualify as "home grown" and his wages are low. Even on Micah's worst, injury-laden performance, he is still light years ahead of Boyata and has earned the right to be given more time at City! Aside from Micah's qualities as a footballer, his value as a City spokesperson and ambassador is irreplaceable... After all, Micah is the only English player left that has graduated from City's academy and advanced to the first team. City has rightly come under increased criticism for not fielding enough English players and always allowing their best English academy players to leave, rather than graduating at least one to the first team... Micah is the only answer to such criticism. City should NOT be buying any defenders like Bacary Sagna from Arsenal, a team that conceded 6 goals to City!... Even on a free transfer, Sagna is just not good enough for City. If City are going to be foolish enough to let Micah Richards go, after Micah has risked his entire body & soul for the club, then City should at least be selecting from one of the very few teams of defenders that have completely blocked City from scoring every time!

So you think City should keep Micah even though he won't sign a new contract and wants to leave?

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

Twosips, it will be ridiculous if City wind up keeping Jack Rodwell, who has had even worse injury problems, just to fulfill an English or home-grown quota, while letting Micah Richards go! City does have the option to make Micah finish his contract, rather than just letting him go at some cut-rate price, if the gossip is true. If City are willing to give the talented Jovetic a chance to stay and prove himself after recovering from injury, then certainly Micah deserves just as much extra time to finally get fit and fight for a spot on the team!!

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

Jamie, yes I would keep Micah and let him continue until his contract has ended. From what I've heard, Micah does not actually want to leave, but has been given no assurances from Manuel, Txiki & Ferran about his chances for playing more frequently. City would even be better off keeping Micah and loaning him out, rather than letting him go for a price far lower than his actual value. Why let City's rivals possibly benefit when Micah does recover his form and fitness?!

[Bianchi on Ice]

Jamie, yes I would keep Micah and let him continue until his contract has ended. From what I've heard, Micah does not actually want to leave, but has been given no assurances from Manuel, Txiki & Ferran about his chances for playing more frequently. City would even be better off keeping Micah and loaning him out, rather than letting him go for a price far lower than his actual value. Why let City's rivals possibly benefit when Micah does recover his form and fitness?!

When being the debatable word. Zaba will return from WC knackered. Next season he needs to be given games off. If Sagna is able to step in its the best thing for the club. I'll be disappointed if Micah goes but some sort of decision must be made on him, even if its for his own good. If he can get games somewhere else, stay fit, he can get in the England side again ahead of that plank Johnson.

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

Bianchi, you seem to have more confidence in Sagna than I ever will. Micah Richards has a far better chance of successfully covering for Zabaleta, since he's already played for the team and will need no time to settle in and learn how City play! I certainly wouldn't let Micah leave, before seeing just how Sagna fits in and how quickly he can adjust to City's style! City's directors seem to have a bad habit of letting experienced players go, before they've actually tested the replacements!

City are just about to open this record-setting new academy complex... How criminal will it be if the greatest symbol of City's academy leading to first team play is no longer with City to help open the new academy? What message does it send to potential new academy signings, if Micah's loyalty isn't valued enough to be persuaded to stay?!

[JamieMCFC]

Bianchi, you seem to have more confidence in Sagna than I ever will. Micah Richards has a far better chance of successfully covering for Zabaleta, since he's already played for the team and will need no time to settle in and learn how City play! I certainly wouldn't let Micah leave, before seeing just how Sagna fits in and how quickly he can adjust to City's style! City's directors seem to have a bad habit of letting experienced players go, before they've actually tested the replacements!

City are just about to open this record-setting new academy complex... How criminal will it be if the greatest symbol of City's academy leading to first team play is no longer with City to help open the new academy? What message does it send to potential new academy signings, if Micah's loyalty isn't valued enough to be persuaded to stay?!

Are you Micah's relative?

[DoomMerchant]

Bianchi, you seem to have more confidence in Sagna than I ever will. Micah Richards has a far better chance of successfully covering for Zabaleta, since he's already played for the team and will need no time to settle in and learn how City play! I certainly wouldn't let Micah leave, before seeing just how Sagna fits in and how quickly he can adjust to City's style! City's directors seem to have a bad habit of letting experienced players go, before they've actually tested the replacements!

City are just about to open this record-setting new academy complex... How criminal will it be if the greatest symbol of City's academy leading to first team play is no longer with City to help open the new academy? What message does it send to potential new academy signings, if Micah's loyalty isn't valued enough to be persuaded to stay?!

You've lost it. Go throw up and have a nap. Wake up....rub one out and try life again on a new day.

Weirdo.

Cheers

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

Jamie, it put a big smile on my face, but sadly, I'm not a member of Micah's family!!... I could definitely use Micah's cheerful and upbeat influence in my family though! Micah does feel like part of the family though and he has earned a type of fierce loyalty, above and beyond most of the City team. There is a psychological component to playing football and having extremely positive-thinking personalities like Micah Richards, Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and others, can help the rest of the team to get through the very worst of City setbacks.

When we rate players, we too often overlook just how important it is for City's players to have belief, loyalty and positivity... Those essential qualities can even get players to perform beyond their actual capabilities. If City are going to be callous enough to allow Micah to leave, then at the very least, they should be hiring a player that has won multiple trophies, or is capable of doing so in the future!

[Slim]

Bianchi, you seem to have more confidence in Sagna than I ever will. Micah Richards has a far better chance of successfully covering for Zabaleta, since he's already played for the team and will need no time to settle in and learn how City play! I certainly wouldn't let Micah leave, before seeing just how Sagna fits in and how quickly he can adjust to City's style! City's directors seem to have a bad habit of letting experienced players go, before they've actually tested the replacements!

City are just about to open this record-setting new academy complex... How criminal will it be if the greatest symbol of City's academy leading to first team play is no longer with City to help open the new academy? What message does it send to potential new academy signings, if Micah's loyalty isn't valued enough to be persuaded to stay?!

You've lost it. Go throw up and have a nap. Wake up....rub one out and try life again on a new day.

Weirdo.

Cheers

He's right, as long as we live in a world where Richards isn't injured when we need him to cover for Zabs. If we live in the world of reality, Milner has more chance of being Zabs cover than Micah does. I'd be thinking QPR will be in him to join SWP, Dunne and Onuoha.

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

Slim, you're assuming that Milner will even stay with City, since there has been a very unsettling trend of English players being pushed to the fringes or sold, by the current football directors. If Willy Caballero is hired as a goalkeeper, City could wind up being one of the only Premier League teams without a single English player in the starting eleven. I want City to continue winning, but I will be deeply unhappy and uncomfortable if the team's directors only view English players as token, back-up players.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

Not good news for Oldham and their sell-on fee

[Bianchi on Ice]

Slim, you're assuming that Milner will even stay with City, since there has been a very unsettling trend of English players being pushed to the fringes or sold, by the current football directors. If Willy Caballero is hired as a goalkeeper, City could wind up being one of the only Premier League teams without a single English player in the starting eleven. I want City to continue winning, but I will be deeply unhappy and uncomfortable if the team's directors only view English players as token, back-up players.

Mate, if they arent good enough or robust enough to last the course there is no point in keeping them. Shaw and Lallana have cost over 50m between them and neither would get into the City side. Hopefully, in years to come City will have a home-grown english core, but now, bar one or two, it just isnt feasible.