Micah Richards is widely expected to join Aston Villa

Manchester City defender Micah Richards is widely expected to join Aston Villa on a free transfer when his contract expires in a few weeks.

He has taken one parting shot at his current club after saying that they should have retained Roberto Mancini as their manager. The Inter Milan boss led the club to their first Premier League title, but he was sacked from his job in poor conditions. For several days, Mancini was a dead man walking before City confirmed his departure. Apart from the way his exit was handled, Richards also says that the club should not have sacked him in the first place.