Robi won't leave: Hughes

November 10, 2009

MARK Hughes has dismissed reports that Robinho will quit City for Barcelona in January.

The City boss insists the Brazilian international's future remains at Eastlands, despite growing speculation that he will leave.

Reports today claimed European champions Barcelona were preparing a £34m swoop or a six-18 month loan deal.

But Hughes is adamant Robinho is going nowhere.

He said of the striker, currently out of action with an ankle injury picked up on international duty in September: “I am quite clear and Robinho should be quite clear that his future is very much with City.

“There is no reason to think that will change any time soon. All those stories do not originate from anyone from City.

“It is people on the outside taking a view on the situation with Robinho which they have no real insight into.”

Hughes believes the constant debate about Robinho's future is down to the fact that he has been forced onto the sidelines with injury.

“At the moment Robinho is not fit,” said Hughes. “But people still want to talk about him because he is a high-profile player.

“They have not had the opportunity to talk about him play on the pitch. From their point of view the next best thing is to speculate about his future and there are a number of people out there who are making mischief.”

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OrigamiNinja, Inverness (10/11/2009 at 08:41)

If there was ever any proof that we miss Robinho then the past 5 leagues games is it. Unfortunately we all know that players are the ones with the real power and if he wants to go theres very little we can do. All I would say is an 18 month loan does nothing positive for us and if Barca want him so badly they should be told to stump up at least what we shelled out for him!

karen tyler (10/11/2009 at 08:50)

A talented player who in his first season was our top scorer, entertains the crowd and draws defenders allowing more space for others to run into!
I cannot believe he wants to leave so soon, hope this is more ridiculous paper talk because if it isn't we will not attract any more real talent in the future and it blows up our ambitions to be a successful club!
If it is paper talk then why are City not threatening legal action?, Robinho has been wanting to leave since day one according to whichever paper has nothing else to fill in their sport pages with.
Come on Hughes, team selection weak, tweak tweak!
Another point - Nice photo of Abu Dhabi on the website, well these overpaid players really deserve a break in the sun after such an impressive, hard fought series of games!!!!Bless em!

Peter Doherty. As good as it gets. (Was it really 37 years?) , Levenshulme (10/11/2009 at 08:59)

18 months loan? Doesn't make any sense. And Pep Guardiola keeps saying he's not interested. Personally I'd keep him until the end of the season as he'd be good coming off the bench in tight games as an alternative to Petrov.

Pacman, Manchester (10/11/2009 at 08:59)

I know that i will probably get a load of stick for this off some on here but if we let Robbi go without a suitable replacement lined up then we can say goodbye to the top 4. He proved last year, his first in the premier league which is arguably the hardest league in the world that he can do it and Bellamy and Tevez for all their graft wont score as many as Robbi would if he had been fit this season.

Ok, so he doesnt defend but would we expect a slightly built Brazilian to defend, he was bought for his skill going forward not as a defender, christ, our defenders dont defend so why should we slate Robbi for doing his job.

I for one will be gutted if we sell him and fuming if we let him go out on loan, i know we dont need the money but i thought we were no longer a club to be taken advantage of, we should tell them he is not available in January and will discuss it in the summer when we know what competitions we will be in next season.

We should also tell Robbi who obviously wants to go to Barca that he stays for the season and if he puts in the effort to repay the club who bought him, pay his wages and whose fans cheer for him that we will listen to his wishes in the summer.

The Colin - Leeds, Over the hills and far away (Mancunian Reject) (10/11/2009 at 09:02)

Let's face it, we all knew that Robinho was never going to stay in Manchester, but if he's got to go then he must be replaced by another player who can scare opposition defences and do the ridiculously good things that he does.

Basically we need the kind of player where teams have to dedicate more than one defender to him.

Let's get Georgi Kinkladze back!

bubba, cleethorpes (10/11/2009 at 09:10)

If, and I stress If, he's to be sold, make sure the price is right. Beware looking to Frack Ribery as a replacement. Pip..Pip..

John Wythenshawe Exile, Indonesia (10/11/2009 at 09:15)

Why can't the MEN do its own investigative reporting? Quoting gossip from other sources is scraping the barrel in my opinion.

expatblue , Australia (10/11/2009 at 09:22)

Can't believe we would let any of our top players be 'borrowed' by anybody. If Robi is to go then we want 40 million, this is more than we paid but as we know players of good quality are extremely hard to find in January who are still eligible to play in the CL. In this instance we should be able to get a good price or he stays, simple as that. Then we could use the cash & freed-up wage to get in a few more top quality players, starting with Yaya

Eric, Dutch (10/11/2009 at 09:22)

This is turning into a Ronaldo-sage, that turns up whenever the player is injured or during an international break. I would love Robinho to stay and see how he turns out with good players around him. But his mind should be fully focused on City. If he wants to go (if Barca is interested, I can understand his desire right now), and City wants to let him go and have already a replacement lined-up, it woudn't keep me awake at night. Hughes might be spoilt in attack, none of these players have the class of an consistant in form Robinho. I'm pretty sure if he had been fit, we would have won 3 out of the last 5. But thats just ít: Robinho-consisntant-in form ...

Chris Musgrove (10/11/2009 at 09:23)

I would love Robbie to stay cos he's great to watch when he's on form. It would be shame to just keep him for such a short period of time. Even when he was n't necessarily consistent last year he still ended up being top goal scorer. We must try and keep him just for that.

Chris CTID

Damion Norbury (10/11/2009 at 09:28)

yeah thats right, let go of a magical player who can change a game with 1 touch............... We have struggled of late hence all the draws, we need Robinho

Damion Norbury (10/11/2009 at 09:28)

Yeah thats right, let go of a magical player who can turn a game with 1 touch........... We need Robinho

- Raziola -, Nottm (10/11/2009 at 09:34)

I'd sooner give them Bridge and an extra million just to take him!!!

this story is getting v. boring - Hughes is going on about how he cant wait to have Robi back and elsewhere he is being loaned off - time for Robi to go and Ribery to come in - no point in loaning Robi just selling for £35

- Raziola -, Nottm (10/11/2009 at 09:34)

Nick The Voice of Reason,, Surrey Hills,( Blackley Born and Bred.) (10/11/2009 at 09:39)

It makes no odds which players Hughes picks in his starting eleven.......Robinho,Messi,Ronaldo,Ribery and Kaka could all line up against Burnley and the result would stll be a lucky 3-3 draw....anyone guess what the common denominator is??????a clue is his initials are MH.!!!!

Mabalsa Ricci, Manchester (10/11/2009 at 09:45)

We were told when we signed Robinho it was a statement of intent......So what exactly does it say when we sell him?

PAUL Eagle (10/11/2009 at 09:46)

We must not let him go!!!!
Get him fit and get hi up front with Adebayor. He is the best finisher at the club

Bill, Carlisle, Cumbria (10/11/2009 at 09:46)

Pacman, Manchester
10/11/2009 at 08:59
"Ok, so he doesnt defend but would we expect a slightly built Brazilian to defend, he was bought for his skill going forward not as a defender, christ, our defenders dont defend so why should we slate Robbi for doing his job."

Probably the best bit of common sense I've read on here in a long time.

Jack Thorley Trafford, Timperley (10/11/2009 at 09:46)

If I was on a £150k a week working in Manchester (46 degrees today.Raining)
and had the chance to get the same wages in Barcelona(68 degrees.Sunny) it would be a very difficult decision to make!

sheik rattle and roll, stroud (10/11/2009 at 09:47)

Unfortunately I can see this happen. What a shame on such a talented player that Hughes can't seem to get the best out of certain type of players.

City Slipper, Manchester (10/11/2009 at 09:49)

I have thought for a while that there is a bit more to it than an ankle injury. I would be surprised to see Robinho pull on a City shirt again, despite all the protestations and statements to the contrary from players and management. He does not suit MH and vice versa. That's why we will end up with more holding midfielders than any other team once we take Yaya Toure. That does suit MH's style. Whilst Robi is a good player and undoubtedly gifted, he is also wasteful and greedy. I'd have him in my squad but I don't think it is the end of the world when, not if, he leaves.

AlexC83, Manchester (10/11/2009 at 09:50)

Can he take some of these moaning fans with him?

Peter Beagrie`s beagle (10/11/2009 at 09:52)

I am really bored of this story now! If we sell Robbi we need our heads feeling, let alone loan him out, who in their right mind would loan a player like Robbi out?? Ooops, just remembered who our manager is! CTID

Coach, Oslo (10/11/2009 at 09:57)

15. October Hughes said: "We're not in the process of taking outstanding players out of the team. We want to bring in outstanding players to complement the outstanding ones we already have.
We don't want to move Robi or anybody else out of the squad. We're looking to build, we're not looking to dismantle."
Lets see if he stands by that statement.

camp bleu, Prestwich (10/11/2009 at 09:59)

BORING.

Anyway, good result last night. Brum should have won but were robbed by a dubious penalty. Can't blame the ref, just blame the player. For all the foamers and knee-jerkers out there, we are STILL in 6th, a point ahead of Liverpool with a game in hand on everyone around us (bar Arsenal). Win that and we are 4th, 2 points behind 3rd spot and still in the QF of the Cup.

We need to be wary of an Anfield onslaught in the next game and, yes, I'll be pleased with a draw.

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