The 21 year old defender has only made eight starts for City this season, mainly due to his inconsistent performances. There is also an apparent problem with his attitude.
At the start of 2008, Richards signed a five and a half year deal with City, but rumour has it that he has had fallings out with manager Mark Hughes in the past and should he decide to offload the player then Ferguson will be ready to pounce for the defender that he is an admirer of.
But of course, it could be a load of rubbish.