Premier League title contenders Liverpool and Manchester City are both monitoring the progress of West Brom academy prospect Rico Richards, a report from The Sun has claimed.

Having already trained with the Baggies' Under 23s side despite only turning 16 in Septmeber, while also being capped by England at Under 17 level, it seems as though the youngster is quickly catching the eye.

It is thought that Richards, who has played both on the wing and in the number 10 position, is attracting attention from both City and Liverpool, with North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also said to be keeping tabs on the teenager.

West Brom however, are apparently planning to offer a new contract to Richards in a bid to ward off that interest, having already lost two 16-year-old's to European giants this summer.

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City have already benefitted with one of those in the form Morgan Rogers, who left the Baggies for the defending Premier League champions for a reported £4million, while Louie Barry also left to join Barcelona earlier.

Richards' current contract with West Brom only runs until next year, which may have contributed to the interest of the Premier League giants in the attacker.

The Verdict

This will surely be a concern for West Brom.

Having already lost those two young players in Rogers and Barry in the summer, the Baggies will surely be starting to grow concerned about their own prospects for the future, since they are losing out on a great deal of potential they themselves will no longer be able to benefit from.

Even so, it will surely be difficult for them to keep hold of Richards should any concrete interest arise here.

The financial power of this quartet means they should have no problem in paying whatever the Baggies demand for Richards, while the opportunity to play for a club of that sort of size is one that the teenager would surely and understandably be keen to take.