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Manchester City set to unload Robinho at last with loan move to Santos
Robinho could make his final appearance for Manchester City in the FA Cup tie at Scunthorpe after club officials sanctioned moves to offload the £32.5 million British record signing on loan to Santos.
By Mark Ogden
Published: 8:00AM GMT 23 Jan 2010
Out of luck: Robinho finds the net against Liverpool but minus the ball Photo: REUTERS
Attempts by Man City to re-ignite Barcelona's interest in the Brazil forward by offering him on loan until the end of the season have been met with a cool response from the European champions, who have told City that Robinho is no longer a leading target.
But Brazilian club Santos, who sold Robinho to Real Madrid for £20 million in 2005, are in talks with City over a short-term move for the 25 year-old.
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Although the two clubs remain some distance from agreeing on financial aspects of the deal, which would involve Santos paying a substantial proportion of Robinho's £160,000-a-week wages, sources at City believe a compromise can be reached.
Manager Roberto Mancini has been dismayed by Robinho's performances since succeeding Mark Hughes at Eastlands and he has informed City's football administrator, Brian Marwood, that he is ready to part with the player.
Despite making an instant impact at Manchester City following his move from Real in Sept 2008, Robinho scored just three goals in 2009 and he has yet to find the net this season.
He has done little to assuage the perception that he is unhappy at City, making regular comments about his desire to play for Barcelona, but Mancini's decision to replace Robinho at Everton last Saturday – 51 minutes after introducing him as a substitute – prompted chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, chief executive Garry Cook and Marwood to re-evaluate their stance on Robinho's future.
City are determined to dispense with Robinho on their terms and it has been made clear to him and his representatives that he will not be allowed to leave during this transfer window unless a deal can be struck to City's satisfaction.
For the first time, though, City have acknowledged that they are prepared to offload the player, who has stressed a desire for first-team football in the build-up to the World Cup.
With Mancini preparing to rest key players such as Shay Given, Gareth Barry and Carlos Tévez at Scunthorpe, Robinho could yet figure at Glanford Park after being named in City's travelling squad.
But having sanctioned the loan of City youngster Vladimir Weiss to Bolton until the end of the season, Mancini admits the prospects of AC Milan midfielder Mathieu Flamini and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini arriving at Eastlands this month appear slim.
"Flamini is a good player but he is playing at Milan and playing very well, so I don't think it is possible for him to come," said Mancini. "Chiellini is the best defender in Italy right now, so it is impossible for Juventus to lose him."
Emmanuel Adebayor, who is due back at Eastlands after a period of compassionate leave following the terrorist attack on the Togo team bus in Angola two weeks' ago, is not expected to figure against Manchester United in the Carling Cup semi-final second-leg at Old Trafford on Wednesday due to fitness concerns.
Chief executive Cook has added to the verbal sparring between United and City, however, by claiming his club will be, 'without doubt, the biggest and best football club in the world.' Cook, addressing supporters at a club function in New York's Mad Hatter Saloon, added that 'it is not if, but when, we're at Wembley having beaten Man United yet again."
Robinho could make his final appearance for Manchester City in the FA Cup tie at Scunthorpe after club officials sanctioned moves to offload the £32.5 million British record signing on loan to Santos.
By Mark Ogden
Published: 8:00AM GMT 23 Jan 2010
Out of luck: Robinho finds the net against Liverpool but minus the ball Photo: REUTERS Attempts by Man City to re-ignite Barcelona's interest in the Brazil forward by offering him on loan until the end of the season have been met with a cool response from the European champions, who have told City that Robinho is no longer a leading target.
But Brazilian club Santos, who sold Robinho to Real Madrid for £20 million in 2005, are in talks with City over a short-term move for the 25 year-old.
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Although the two clubs remain some distance from agreeing on financial aspects of the deal, which would involve Santos paying a substantial proportion of Robinho's £160,000-a-week wages, sources at City believe a compromise can be reached.
Manager Roberto Mancini has been dismayed by Robinho's performances since succeeding Mark Hughes at Eastlands and he has informed City's football administrator, Brian Marwood, that he is ready to part with the player.
Despite making an instant impact at Manchester City following his move from Real in Sept 2008, Robinho scored just three goals in 2009 and he has yet to find the net this season.
He has done little to assuage the perception that he is unhappy at City, making regular comments about his desire to play for Barcelona, but Mancini's decision to replace Robinho at Everton last Saturday – 51 minutes after introducing him as a substitute – prompted chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, chief executive Garry Cook and Marwood to re-evaluate their stance on Robinho's future.
City are determined to dispense with Robinho on their terms and it has been made clear to him and his representatives that he will not be allowed to leave during this transfer window unless a deal can be struck to City's satisfaction.
For the first time, though, City have acknowledged that they are prepared to offload the player, who has stressed a desire for first-team football in the build-up to the World Cup.
With Mancini preparing to rest key players such as Shay Given, Gareth Barry and Carlos Tévez at Scunthorpe, Robinho could yet figure at Glanford Park after being named in City's travelling squad.
But having sanctioned the loan of City youngster Vladimir Weiss to Bolton until the end of the season, Mancini admits the prospects of AC Milan midfielder Mathieu Flamini and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini arriving at Eastlands this month appear slim.
"Flamini is a good player but he is playing at Milan and playing very well, so I don't think it is possible for him to come," said Mancini. "Chiellini is the best defender in Italy right now, so it is impossible for Juventus to lose him."
Emmanuel Adebayor, who is due back at Eastlands after a period of compassionate leave following the terrorist attack on the Togo team bus in Angola two weeks' ago, is not expected to figure against Manchester United in the Carling Cup semi-final second-leg at Old Trafford on Wednesday due to fitness concerns.
Chief executive Cook has added to the verbal sparring between United and City, however, by claiming his club will be, 'without doubt, the biggest and best football club in the world.' Cook, addressing supporters at a club function in New York's Mad Hatter Saloon, added that 'it is not if, but when, we're at Wembley having beaten Man United yet again."
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