Chelsea are ready to make a £20million move for Micah
Richards – after the unsettled Manchester City defender demanded
showdown talks with Roberto Mancini.
The faltering champions believe they can prise the England
defender away from Eastlands following comments from Richards that
he would rather leave the club than be reduced to a squad player
under Mancini.
Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal that Richards met with the City
manager on Thursday to tell him that he was unhappy with his role –
less than 24 hours after playing in the goalless draw at
Arsenal.
He was followed into the manager’s office by Joleon Lescott, who
asked for assurances about his future after being left on the bench
at the Emirates.
Mancini told both players that they were part of his plans and
will not be allowed to leave.
But Chelsea have been long-term admirers of 22-year-old
Richards.
If their advances are rebuffed this time then they will be back
in the summer, with Roman Abramovich now forced to accept that he
has to invest in the club’s ageing squad.
City, though, are in no mood to sell Richards – particularly to
a club they view as rivals for the title.
But Mancini will not stand in the way of Emmanuel Adebayor,
Roque Santa Cruz, Wayne Bridge or Shaun Wright-Phillips who are all
likely to leave on loan deals.
Monaco, Aston Villa and Fulham are interested in Adebayor and
Santa Cruz’s likely destination is Lazio or Blackburn.
West Ham are set to beat Villa to a loan deal for defender
Bridge and Liverpool were interested in winger Wright-Phillips
although that deal is uncertain after Roy Hodgson’s departure from
Liverpool.