Chelsea are considering whether to offer a contract to former England defender Micah Richards, with the 26-year-old believed to be open returning to the Premier League after spending this season on loan at Fiorentina.

Richards, whose contract at Manchester City expires in June and is now free to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs overseas, has already been offered a long term deal by Fiorentina having turned down two contract extensions to stay at the Etihad Stadium in the past.

But after trying to sign him in his previous spell as Chelsea manager and again for Real Madrid in 2012, José Mourinho is now keeping a watchful eye on the situation in case he decides to bolster his defence for next season.

Roberto Mancini, the Internazionale coach who managed Richards at City, is also believed to be interested in Richards ‎as he fits into the 4-3-1-2 system that the Italian ‎is moulding for his new team.

With Glen Johnson expected to leave Anfield this summer, Liverpool could be tempted to replace him with the player who remains the youngest defender ever to play for England.

A product of Manchester City’s youth academy, Richards was a regular in Mancini’s title-winning side in 2011-12 but subsequently fell behind Pablo Zabaleta in the pecking order. He decided to move to Serie A on loan in a bid to play regularly despite being offered an improved contract by City.