West London neighbours Brentford and Queens Park Rangers are reportedly interested in signing Leicester City forward Amani Richards.
Richards spent time in the academy setups at Arsenal and Chelsea, before he joined the youth system at Leicester in January 2022.
The youngster scored 12 goals in the Under-18 Premier League South in 2022-23 to be named Leicester's Men's Academy Player of the Season.
He has made the step up to the Under-21 side for the current season, scoring three goals and providing five assists in 19 appearances in the Premier League 2.
Richards also competed against senior teams in the EFL Trophy group stage, starting all three matches against Wigan Athletic, Tranmere Rovers and Fleetwood Town.
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Brentford set to rival QPR for Richards
Despite being highly regarded by Leicester, the 19-year-old is on the verge of leaving the club when his contract expires in the summer.
According to the Evening Standard, Brentford and QPR are both showing an interest in signing Richards on a free transfer.
The report claims that Leicester have failed in their attempts to agree on a new deal due to the teenager's desire to play senior football.
Leicester are still keen to renew his contract but face a real fight to extend his stay beyond the end of the current season.
Richards is also being linked with Championship side Sunderland as well as clubs in Germany, Belgium and Denmark.
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Brentford, QPR looking for attacking reinforcments
Brentford and QPR are both seemingly keen to add Richards to their attacking options due to his ability to play on the flanks and as a centre-forward.
Thomas Frank's side may have the upper hand because they could offer Richards the chance to play Premier League football, having secured safety with three games left to play.
However, there is a possibility that Brentford would initially place Richards in their 'B' team to gain further experience before making the step up to the senior side.
As for QPR, they are starting to plan for next season after sealing safety with a commanding 4-0 win over Leeds United on Friday.
QPR boss Marti Cifuentes is now looking to build a side that can stay clear of the Championship relegation zone in 2024-25.
With the R's competing in the league below Brentford, they may be able to offer Richards a quicker path to first-team football.
