Robinho Free To Leave Madrid?

It’s been a difficult summer for Robinho at Real Madrid. The Brazilian has been refused permission to travel to the Olympics and has said on numerous occasions that he wishes to leave Spain because he feels undervalued by the club.

However, Madrid have denied him an exit - perhaps ironic considering the voices coming from Madrid regarding Manchester United and their strong stance on Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now, though, it appears that with Rafael Van Der Vaart safely at the Bernabeu they may finally be ready to let Robinho leave. Both Ramon Calderon and Pedja Mijatovic are believed to have OK’ed the move in the past but coach Bernd Schuster was reluctant to sell without a replacement.

'There Is Time'

Despite the replacement not being Ronaldo, it is still thought Real will now open the door for Chelsea to sign Robinho. The cost, of course, could yet be the snag. It is thought that Chelsea made a bid of €30million for him in the past but that was rejected as Real wanted €40m, a fee which even big-spending Chelsea might have to consider.

Peter Kenyon, executive director of Chelsea, has already stated their desire to buy the Brazilian and sstated recently that: “One of the keys to buying to Robinho is that Real find a replacement.” This now looks to have transpired.

For Madrid, this transfer could well prove more than just monetary gain. In allowing a highly valued player to leave simply because he wishes to move on they may well set a precedent and take the moral high ground over the deal.

It is believed that one of Robinho desires to link up with former Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari again as a Blue. Where he would fit in at Chelsea though it is not yet known and Kenyon confirmed that they would not rush things, saying: “The door is open to the end of August, so there is time.”

James Walker-Roberts