Sunderland are working hard on a deal to bring in Manchester City defender Micah Richards on a one-year loan before the end of the transfer window on Monday. According to The Mirror, The Black Cats are serious negotiations to conclude the deal as soon as possible.
The England international had a promising start to his career with Manchester City before losing his place in the squad to more expensive signings. Despite that, he has still made over 170 league appearances for the club and has been capped for his national team 13 times.
It certainly looks like he will be leaving his current side before Monday. He recently turned down a new contract, that would have seen a big drop in his wages, but buyers have been put off by his £8 million asking price.
Sunderland had previously looked towards bringing in Rolando from Porto before deadline day tomorrow but The Daily Mail reports that a deal for the defender has stalled, leading to Gus Poyet having to look at other options.
Micah Richards would have the added benefit of being able to play at both right back and centre back, providing plenty of cover in defence – an area that Sunderland are desperate to strengthen following a number of departures during the summer.
Sunderland have been given plenty of hope in their pursuit of the 26-year-old as he is now even further down the pecking order after Manchester City brought Bacary Sagna to The Etihad. With Pablo Zabaleta also preferred to him, Richards will have to move on from the club to ensure regular first team football.
A loan deal to Sunderland could provide the experienced defender with plenty fo playing opportunities as both John O’Shea and Wes Brown are nearing the end of their careers and will be unlikely to play every game of the season. Gus Poyet has also been public about his desire to bring in additional defenders to boost his options.
