Manchester City to force James Milner and Micah Richards into seeing out contracts

• Micah Richards and James Milner have 12 months left on their current deals
• City need the pair to meet the club's homegrown player requirements under new financial fair-play rules
• Arsenal and Liverpool are interested Milner and Richards who want to leave due to a lack of first-team football

Published: 17:01 EST, 24 May 2014 | Updated: 02:39 EST, 25 May 2014

Manchester City are prepared to play hardball with unsettled England stars James Milner and Micah Richards and force them to stay until the end of their contracts.

The pair have 12 months left on their deals and want to leave because of a lack of first-team action, sparking interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.

But City are reluctant to sell as they struggle to meet their homegrown player requirements under new financial fair-play rules.

VIDEO Scroll down for Sportsmail Freestyle with Dzeko, Rodwell and Fernandinho

Wantaways: Micah Richards and James Milner are both desperate to leave Man City to play first-team football

On duty: Milner is currently with the England squad ahead of travelling to the World Cup

The club need at least eight Premier League squad members who have come through an English academy and for the Champions League, that has to include four from their own academy, such as Richards.

This means the club may keep the pair, even though City would sacrifice a fee because both men could simply walk away in a year.

City will only be able to  name a 21-man squad for next season’s Champions League following a UEFA punishment after breaking fair-play rules and they cannot spend more than £49million this summer.

To help with the England quota, third-choice goalkeeper Richard Wright has been offered a new deal and Jack Rodwell will only be allowed out on loan if City can fill the homegrown slots for their Premier League squad.

Sportsmail Freestyle with Dzeko, Rodwell and Fernandinho

Surplus: Jack Rodwell may only stay at Man City in order to fulfill the homegrown quota

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