Robinho sure he is heading back to Brazil
WANTAWAY striker Robinho believes he has played his last game for Manchester City and is “90 per cent certain” to return to former club Santos this week.
The £32.5m hitman revealed in an interview on Sunday how he was desperate to return to Brazil after City directors ordered him out of the club.
Boss Roberto Mancini denied the story, insisting he wanted Robinho to stay at Eastlands, but the ex-Real Madrid star is convinced a deal is already in place.
Speaking to Brazilian television station TV Globo on his 26th birthday yesterday, Robinho said: “It’s all on the right track. Santos are looking at the duration of my loan. Santos want a year, but City want just six months. It’s 90 per cent certain. In two or three days it should be sealed.”
Indeed, Robinho, who joined City from Real for a British record fee in August 2008, is said to be happy to take a pay cut to move back to Santos, with City reportedly agreeing to pay part of his £110,000-a-week wages.
But Santos president Luis Alvaro Ribeiro has also revealed the mega-rich Premier League club also want first refusal on talented youngsters Paulo Henrique Ganso and Neymar as part of any deal.
Ribeiro confirmed: “They want the first choice to buy the two boys. That does not bother us because we will sell the players for the best offer. If City have the conditions to match the offer, they can have the players.”
Robinho is unlikely to be involved for tomorrow night’s Carling Cup semi-final second leg with rivals Manchester United, although Mancini is expecting to welcome back defender Kolo Toure after his Ivory Coast side were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations by Algeria on Sunday night.
However, Emmanuel Adebayor is still not expected to figure after returning from compassionate leave, while Slovakian winger Vladimir Weiss has joined Bolton on loan.