MANCHESTER CITY’S inability to find a buyer for Robinho will lead to Santos making a final attempt to negotiate a loan agreement for a player who is rapidly becoming an increasingly complex burden for England’s richest club.
Robinho’s six-month spell with Santos expired on Wednesday and the most expensive player in English football is scheduled to return to City after Brazil’s friendly against the USA next week.
The 26-year-old has not hidden the fact that he is dismayed by the idea of having to start the new season in Manchester and he intends to reiterate to the chief executive, Garry Cook, that he wants to play no further part in the club’s plans.
“The club [City] have told us they don’t want to loan him out again but Robinho will go back and talk to their board,” the Santos president, Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro, said. “No one plays where one doesn’t want to and I believe we can persuade City to loan him for a little longer.
“We agreed a free loan at the start of the year and we want the same conditions now, whereby we pay his wages. That would be good for Brazilian football, for Robinho and for Manchester City themselves because it would keep the value of the player.”
Robinho’s parting act at Santos was to help them to the Copa do Brasil, beating Vitoria 3-2 on aggregate despite losing the second leg 2-1 on Wednesday.
“I don’t want that to be my last trophy here,” he said. “I really want to stay but it doesn’t depend only on me. My heart is with Santos and I want to stay but we have to talk to Manchester City because I have a contract and I don’t want to fight with them. Contracts are made to be fulfilled. If they release me, then great, I’ll stay [at Santos]. If not, I’ll go back and fulfil my contract.”
City had been hoping to recoup at least €24 million of the €39 million they paid Real Madrid for Robinho almost two years ago but their high valuation, combined with the Brazilian’s €193,000-a-week salary, has put off potential buyers. Santos do not have the finances to consider a permanent move but Ribeiro added: “I will fight for Robinho just as the players fought on the pitch [to win the Brazilian Cup], up to the limit of our possibilities.”
Sunderland’s Paraguay midfielder Cristian Riveros will not join up with the club until after an international friendly on August 11th. Riveros, who signed in May from the Mexican side Cruz Azul, has received a work permit but will play for Paraguay against Costa Rica next week before joining up with his new club a couple of days before their season opener against Birmingham City.
