Shakhtar Dontesk ready to end Robinho's City venture

Mike Whalley

July 16, 2010

SET TO EXIT: Robinho

Shakhtar Donetsk are ready to make a £20m bid to end Robinho’s City stay, while Tottenham are pondering a move for Craig Bellamy.

Blues boss Roberto Mancini – currently leading a pre-season training camp at Portland as City begin their tour of the United States – has indicated he is ready to start shipping players out after bringing in Jerome Boateng, Yaya Toure and David Silva.

Mancini is hopeful of making further additions to his squad before the season kicks off next month – with Aston Villa midfielder James Milner, Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko and Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli on his wanted list. The Blues have just agreed a £16m deal for Serbian full back Aleksander Kolarov.

But Robinho, Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz, Nedum Onuoha and Stephen Ireland are all facing uncertain futures at Eastlands as the City boss shuffles his pack. Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has indicated he would struggle to afford a deal for Bellamy, who turned 31 on Wednesday, but may still try to put a package together.

And Shakhtar’s billionaire owner Rinat Akhmetov has confirmed he is interested in Robinho.

The Ukrainian champions, coached by Mircea Lucescu, are keen to strengthen as they prepare for a Champions League campaign. Robinho’s six-month loan deal at Santos expires on August 4, and he has indicated he would prefer to remain in his native Brazil.

However, the Blues are keen for him to come back to the club.

Bellamy faces a major fight for his place on the left flank but Spurs would question the Welshman’s £90,000-a-week wages.

What is your verdict on the transfer moves? Have your say.

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Hazel Grove Blue since 1960 (16/07/2010 at 09:57)

Can't wait to see him playing in the Ukraine in the middle of winter. If he thinks it's cold here he obviously hasn't spoken to Elano.

st helens blue(exiled) (16/07/2010 at 10:01)

bye bye loser

Chris-Sao Paulo, JP, Brazil (16/07/2010 at 10:05)

Who cares anymore?

Bellamy and Robinho are just moaners with over-inflated egos. The sooner the pair of them are out, the better for everyone.

This is a new City under Mancini.

Emjay See supporting City is not being able to wake from a dream that keeps getting better and bette (16/07/2010 at 10:07)

Definitely not a case of I'll drive him there myself

kevin cairns, morecambe (16/07/2010 at 10:08)

I would like to see Robinho rediscover his form,and play for Manchester City,if city don't get a reasonable offer for him.

Jim Tolmie's moustache, Under Jim's nose (16/07/2010 at 10:09)

The Russians do not have a prayer unless Robi is totally mad.
Elano wrote of how he hated every minute at Shaktar, the cold, the isolation, the boredom he spoke of how he prayed that the misery would end.

Do you not think he might have mentioned this to Robi?

True Blue Middlesbrough, middlesbrough (16/07/2010 at 10:09)

Good.Wonder if he knows its colder in shakhtar than sunny Manchester?Thank you and goodbye.

Johno CTID, Manchester Born and Bread (16/07/2010 at 10:10)

I know Robbie is going and probably should but would it not be great if he had a change of heart and decided to come back and get stuck in and fight because on his day he is fantastic pitty he does not have the mentality of Tevez Wow

Jordie, Manchester (16/07/2010 at 10:10)

Shame he couldn't hack it in the premier league as he is undoubtedly world class but obviously too soft for England. I think City would be delighted to get him out asap even if we lose money on him.
Shame Bellers didn't join us a few years ago, i would have liked to see more of him in a City shirt.
Good luck to both of them in the future wherever they end up.

302 and Blue, The North (16/07/2010 at 10:12)

Be glad to see the back of Robinho and if we can get £20M I think thats a top result as for Bellers well he is a tw*t but I would rather we kept him.

kevin cairns, morecambe (16/07/2010 at 10:14)

Could send him there on loan to toughen him up,but would rather sell him!

Mad Dave, Sale (16/07/2010 at 10:15)

Cant see Robinho jumping at the chance to play in the Ukraine. That said they are in the champs league son good luck to them. I for one wishes he would stay and fight for his place.

I'm hoping Bellamy will stay too. For me Silva should be eased in and letting Bellamy go will be a huge mistake. Silva will need a bit of time and should be used sparingly in his first 3 months. If we do that who will play left mid? Kolarov?

Its difficult to say who has been the best signing so far. I suspect Kolarov

Phil Neal's Laxative, Somewhere in Baden (16/07/2010 at 10:17)

Given that Donetzk makes Piccadilly Gardens look like the copacabana, I can only assume that Robinho has looked no further than the pay deal. Have fun in the cold, Robi!

Schrodinger's cat, in a box (16/07/2010 at 10:18)

To paraphrase every no-nothing pundit who said similar when he came to us....He's going to love it turning out for Shakhtar at Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on a cold Tuesday night in November.

Eric, Dutch (16/07/2010 at 10:19)

We need shipping out players, that's for sure. And luckily we are in a position to bring players in before we sell any. The names mentioned here are the ones that played a part last season, others like Jo and Caicedo didn't and should be in that line as well as SWP and Garrido (or Bridge?).

It's good to hear Mancini will rotate. With any luck in the cupcompetitions we will have to play loads of games, including the ones some fool put on a Mondaynight (vs Liverpool) and Wednesdaynight (vs rags).

Briz (16/07/2010 at 10:28)

If he has gone for 20 million on the very day that we have shelled out 16 million for Kolarov then today is a very good day for Manchester City on and off the field. Well done to the suits.

Half time time pint, STILL queuing at the bar. (16/07/2010 at 10:28)

Can't see either of these happening. Robi won't want to go to Ukraine and we won't sell Bellers to Spuds.

Evan Georgiou (16/07/2010 at 10:36)

Nothing but Blue skies everywhere.....we needed two fullbacks,a defensive and creative midfielder and a striker we have already got four of the World's best....our thanks to our wonderful Sheikh.

Why oh why would Bellamy(90k),Ireland(70k),Robinho(160k),Onouha(45k) and RSC(80K) want to leave?The answer for the first four is in their ego and for RSC it's in his ability.I am less fussed than ever if we lose them all because I still cannot get over losing to the Rags and Spuds last season-which will not happen in the manner it did with the people that Roberto is bringing in.....I hope Robi freezes.

Thaksin Shinawatra, In Hiding (16/07/2010 at 10:38)

Will make Scunny look positively sunny the poor fool!

Bobski, Lausanne, Switzerland (16/07/2010 at 10:38)

could not agree more! Ok, Robi is an obvious disgrace to our beloved club, bur Bellars too often disappeared when it mattered and am sick of him. He's an averege player in terms of skill and has based an entire career out of so called passion, which can otherwise be translated as arrogance about his own self-belief.

MancRobbo, Manchester (16/07/2010 at 10:41)

Bye bye lazy boy

The crafty goat, Manchester (16/07/2010 at 10:45)

If Robinho goes or stays City fans should remember that he scored 14 in his first season (straight into the team and the PL - no phasing in) and the 4th top scorer in the league. Some of those goals and midfield touches were world class.

Last season in early September playing for Brazil in a friendly he badly broke his ankle and was out until mid December.

He struggled to immediately regain his form (who wouldn't?) and to retain his place in Brazil team for world cup requested a loan to Santos.

Robinho stared for Brazil in the world cup.

Personally I would like to see this wonderful talent alongside our new signings and vastly stronger team.

Just maybe he would rain goals?

proudtobeblue (16/07/2010 at 11:20)

whats the next line from the Russian Owner "my mother in law....im ere all week" more chance of Peter Crouch winning a "who is the smallest midget" competition than Robi going to Donetsk,unless they offer him £500,000 a week! think it could be towards the end of the transfer window before he goes,if he does go. Hope we don't sell Bellamy this summer,get another season out of him,the number of games we could have this season means we need to rest players.

YadYads (16/07/2010 at 11:23)

He wont go there surely, we'll probably be stuck with him until at least january. As for bellamy, his heart isnt in it now hughes has gone. You cant just kick off becuase your favourite manager gets sacked, you just get on with it if you really want to win things like he says he does.

steve grimsley, Perth (16/07/2010 at 11:29)

Craft Goat
what you fail to realise is that he is world class when he wants to be,but he is cheating City with his arrogance and pure lack of concern for the Club.
He deserves Russia,De Jong should have nailed him not Alonso and done us all a favour

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