Chelsea chasing Manchester City defender, according to reports

Chelsea are considering a free move in the summer for former England defender Micah Richards, according to The Guardian. Richards' contract with Manchester City is due to expire this summer, though Fiorentina is reportedly interested in keeping the on-loan defender around beyond the expiration of his loan spell.

Richards would certainly be an interesting addition, as he's shown the sort of quality required to play a role for a top English club in the past. I'd have a hard time picturing him displacing any of the current starting options, but he'd be the sort of versatile, experienced defender that's always good to have on the bench.

Additionally, Richards would fill a homegrown player slot domestically, while counting as association trained if registered for next season's Champions League. That likely increases Richards' value to a club like Chelsea, for whom international roster slots are at a premium.

Whether or not this interest is real, it will be a while before the club are officially allowed to enter in negotiations with the player, as being under contract with Manchester City at the moment, Richards is only allowed to negotiate with clubs outside of England. I suppose this is one to watch for the future.