Let Robinho Go

The speculation continues to mount around Manchester City’s marquee signing Robinho and his apparent desire to join European Champions Barcelona.

Reports have stated that Barca are planning to pay City a £6 Million ‘arrangement fee’ to take him on loan in January before completing a permanent move in the summer.

If I was Mark Hughes, I would let him go.

The Brazilian was bought as the face of Manchester City’s new revolution under their Abu Dhabi owners last September for a British record £32.5 Million fee.

And he has helped the club, along with the bottom-less pit of cash, to attract big names such as Carlos Tevez and Gareth Barry to take the club to the next level.

But looking at City’s array of attacking talent, including Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz,  Craig Bellamy and Tevez, I don’t see what Robinho can offer them because going forward is not where City’s problems lie.

And it seems to me and everyone else that he wants to go to a much bigger club in Barcelona.

Apparently he is not trying to engineer himself a move back to Spain but when he is quoted on a Brazilian radio station saying ‘ playing at the Nou Camp it is much easier to be the best player in the world than at City’ it sounds very much like a ‘come and get me plea’ to Pep Guardiola.

I find that a very strange comment anyway because I don’t see how Robinho is going to out-shine three of the world’s finest in Lionel Messi, Andres Inestia and Xavi!

But back to his current situation at Manchester City.

Last season, Robinho was the main man for City but he seems to have had his cage rattled by the arrival of attacking talent at the club.

The 25-year-old has only made three appearances for City this season due to an ankle injury. But in my view, City have not struggled without him and continue to score goals.

Their problem is in defence and somehow I don’t think Robinho will help to solve that problem.

I would let Robinho go because I can only see him being a disruptive influence as we edge closer to the January transfer window.

He has done his job for the club as the Hollywood signing that shocked the footballing world last year and Hughes has been able to build a team around him but for me his job at City is complete.

Gary Taylor