by skatesy » Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:22 pm
Official: Manchester City Sign Robinho
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has confirmed that the club have sold Robinho to Manchester City and that they may try to make a big signing in January...
Chelsea have been chasing the Brazilian for a number of weeks now, with new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari having made it clear that the Real Madrid star, along with Deco, were his two transfer targets upon being appointed as Blues boss.
The Brazilian finished the season glad to stay with the Spanish champions, but became unsettled when murmurs in the press emerged that he could be used as a makeweight in Madrid's pursuit of Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, as that move collapsed, Robinho remained open to leaving Madrid, despite their best efforts to keep the player. Coach Bernd Schuster is thought to have always wanted the former Santos star to stay at the club, but that higher-ups within the club were willing to let him leave if Cristiano Ronaldo were to arrive.
Chelsea have pursued Robinho very much in the same manner that Madrid chased Ronaldo earlier in the summer, and despite Madrid's disappointment with the Blues' behaviour, the player himself has remained adamant that he wants to leave the club, even arranging a press conference on Sunday to push for a move to Chelsea.
Madrid have remained adamant that no players would be leaving or arriving in the remaining days of the transfer window, but now appear to have changed their tune as City, who were taken over by Abu Dhabi Group for Development and Investment today and their immense wealth has given the Citizens the backing to sign the Brazilian, despite missing out on Dimitar Berbatov to rivals Manchester United.
"We have sold Robinho for reasons of human nature," Calderon told Canal Veo TV. "The fact is that we have accepted an offer for Manchester City, and that he is not going for sporting reasons.
"I can't rule out a new signing in December, now that [without Robinho] we have a free slot. But right now there's nobody in the market that we can move for."
The club have also officially announced the deal on their official website: "Real Madrid Football Club has finally decided this evening to transfer their player, Robson da Souza 'Robinho', to Manchester City."