Former Manchester City forward Robinho has revealed that he would joined Premier League giants Chelsea FC if not that the Blues were already selling shirts with his name before the deal with his then club Real Madrid was announced.
The Brazilian was set to move to Stamford Bridge before Man City, backed by Arab money, swooped in to sign the player for a record £32.5 million.
Then Chelsea manager Luis Felipe Scolari, also called Big Phil, was fuming at the actions of the Spanish side as they sold the player to the then new kids on the block.
“My goal was to move to Chelsea – Big Phil said I could make the difference for him as his squad, according to him, was not creative enough. But Real Madrid has fallen out with Chelsea – they didn’t like them selling shirts with my name on before the deal had been done.
“I’m pretty sure that this error was one of the main reasons why the transfer failed, as it was a matter of pride for Real Madrid,” Robinho revealed.
The playmaker said that the move to sell shirts ahead of the announcement of the deal infuriated the Real management that they decided to look for another buyer, and City was eager to drop the required amount as they pushing to lure players.
Robinho did not fully settle at the Etihad, spending just 16 months before his exit. The player spoke at length about his experience at City; from bust-up with teammate Craig Bellamy to moving around Manchester before his visit to Brazil instead of being at a training camp in Tenerife.
Robinho never reached his former levels at the Bernabeu before moving to Santos on a loan deal. He played for AC Milan as well before returning home to where he currently plays at Atletico Mineiro.