Robinho joins Santos on loan
Robinho joins Santos on loan
Also In The News
|
By Matt Hallam. |  |
Thursday, 28, Jan 2010 06:07
By Michael Younger.
Manchester City's want-away playmaker Robinho has joined former club Santos on a six-month loan deal, it has been announced.
The 26-year-old forward - who cost a British transfer record £32.4m when he arrived from Real Madrid in 2008 - will now return to Brazil on Sunday, with City announcing Santos will assume all of the player's contract terms, including wages and bonuses.
Robinho stated prior to Sunday's FA Cup victory at Scunthorpe, in which he started and scored, that he was unhappy at being denied regular first-team football under new manager Roberto Mancini in a World Cup year.
Mancini wanted Robinho to remain at Eastlands but omitted the former Real Madrid man from Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final defeat at Manchester United - a move which was seen as the final nail in the coffin.
The Italian tactician said: "Robinho is someone who needs to be playing regularly and we wish him well for the period of his loan."
Robinho had a promising start to his City career, ending his first season as the club's top scorer with 15 goals.
But his form has since deserted him and he has started only eight games in all competitions this campaign, prompting the City faithful to criticise his recent performances - which had seen him fail to find the net until the 4-2 FA Cup win over Scunthorpe.
Speculation in South America has suggested that, having agreed to the deal, City will demand the first option on Santos forward Neymar in the future.
In a busy transfer day for City, rumours suggest the club are also yet to give up hope of signing Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson before Monday's transfer deadline, despite the Championship club snubbing an offer.