ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: ROBINHO, THE most expensive player in the history of the Premier League, has informed Manchester City he has no intention of returning to the club at the end of his loan spell with Santos.

The man who was supposed to symbolise City’s new ambitions when signed from Real Madrid for €37 million, is so determined to sever his ties with Manchester he has already arranged for his belongings to be shipped to Brazil.

He has also put his UK-registered Lamborghini up for sale and informed his landlord he will not be returning to the house he rented last summer. The Brazilian strategically chose to rent, rather than buy, when he moved out of his first house after a neighbourly dispute about the noise level at which he was playing music.

Robinho joined Santos on a six-month loan in January but Roberto Mancini has maintained that the 26-year-old remains a part of the club’s future and will return for the start of next season.

Robinho, however, has other ideas, telling his representatives that he just wants to write off his time at Eastlands as a bad period in his career. His feelings were laid bare in an interview this week when he reflected on moving from Madrid to Manchester. “Maybe if I had gone to another club it would have been better for me,” he said.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has inherited a dressingroom containing some trying characters, and his press conference yesterday was dominated by questions about three other players who have been causing some concern.

First Mancini expressed frustration that Carlos Tevez would not be back for tomorrow’s game against Liverpool because he was still in Argentina on compassionate leave following the premature birth of his second daughter. Mancini has not spoken to him since Wednesday but his information is the baby’s condition has improved and he has urged the striker to be back for Tuesday’s FA Cup fifth-round replay at Stoke City.

“Carlos is a serious problem. I told him: ‘Come quickly because we have important games’, and he said: ‘When I solve my problem I will come’. We have important games and I think he has solved this problem. I think the baby is okay and I hope Carlos can come back very quickly.

“He told me he wants to stay with his family. He won’t be here on Sunday and I don’t know when we will see him. I hope Carlos comes back on Monday for the Stoke game and will also be here for the Chelsea game (next weekend). This is a big problem because we’re without Carlos for a long time.”

Mancini’s mood was not eased by Patrick Vieira’s three-match ban for kicking Stoke’s Glenn Whelan during the 1-1 draw on Tuesday and he may fine the ex- Arsenal captain. The manager also summoned Craig Bellamy to his office on Wednesday because he was concerned about his fitness.

Meanwhile, Javier Mascherano, the Liverpool midfielder who has been linked with a move to City in the past, ruled out that prospect.

“I will say one thing: you can buy players but you cannot buy history,” he said. “I don’t want to play for Manchester City.”

Guardian Service