Micah deal: what will be, will be

Latics boss sidesteps talk of windfall

EVERY little helps when money is as tight as it is at Athletic.

When Sky Sports finalised arrangements to televise the home game against Tranmere in March, it provided the club with around £30,000 of guaranteed income.

It is certainly welcome news, not only in terms of boosting the coffers but also in increasing the club's profile by putting the game in a nationwide spotlight.

But it is small fry compared to what would happen if events were to conspire in the club's favour a few miles down the road at Manchester City.

The rumours surrounding a possible move for Athletic's former centre of excellence pupil Micah Richards are not new and seem to recur every season.

This time, though, the player himself has indicated that he wants guaranteed first-team football.

And City's Premier League rivals Chelsea are said to be interested in taking Richards to Stamford Bridge, for a transfer fee of £20million.

With Athletic holding a 20-per-cent sell-on clause, that would mean an incredible £4m sailing its way into Boundary Park.

Rumours at the weekend suggested that this factor could be inflating the asking price and stalling a potential move away from Eastlands for the England right-back.

Despite the massive benefits a completed transfer of Richards would have on finances, Athletic boss Paul Dickov isn't about to use his contacts to try to edge the 22-year-old through the exit door.

"It is Manchester City's prerogative what they do or don't do," Dickov said, on a player who is also rumoured to be interesting Arsenal and Tottenham.

"Micah's a great kid and a fantastic player. It is in their hands and they don't need somebody like me telling them what to do.

"Roberto (Mancini, manager), Garry Cook (chief executive) and Brian Marwood (football administrator) have got lots and lots of years of experience in the game.

"They will do what is right for their football club. They can't afford to think what is right for Oldham, but will do what is right for themselves, and rightly so."

Meanwhile, Dickov believes that Athletic's home hammering by Southampton could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Six different scorers found the net for Saints last week as Nigel Adkins' men showcased their promotion potential.

While Athletic folded, though, the team recovered impressively to put in a very solid showing four days later at Plymouth.

That 2-0 win, courtesy of goals by Dale Stephens and Oumare Tounkara, sets up a run of five games in 15 days — with many of them very attractive on paper from an Athletic viewpoint.

"Every game is winnable and we believe that," Dickov said.

"We got a bit of a reality check last Tuesday night and maybe that is the best thing that has happened to us — only the remainder of the season will let us know that.

"We believe it can be a turning point for us."