Micah Richards' future is in sharp focus at Manchester City following the arrival of Douglas Maicon.

Maicon, once considered the best right-back in the world, has joined from Inter Milan for £3m.

City manager Roberto Mancini knows him well from their time together in Milan and, at 31, the Brazilian hasn't moved to England to warm the bench, says the Manchester Evening News.

Richards is one of only a few City squad members who can remember life before they struck oil.

Talented youth team products like Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha have moved on, denied opportunities in the first team by the arrival of expensive imports.

But having survived culls made by Sven-Goran Eriksson, Mark Hughes and Mancini, Richards is facing his sternest test yet.