Robinho to Santos

Manchester city have today confirmed that Robinho will be leaving the club to join Brazilian outfit Santos on a six-month loan deal.

A statement on the club's official website reads:

"The
club can confirm that it has reached agreement with Santos for Robinho
to join them on a six-month loan. The agreement takes immediate effect
and ends on August 4.

"Santos will assume all of the player's
contract terms, including wages and bonuses. Robinho will travel to
Brazil on Sunday to begin his loan period."

City boss Roberto Mancini,
who stated last week that he would have liked the player to stay and
fight for a place in the team, hoped that the move would work out for
Robinho.

"Robinho is someone who needs to be playing regularly and we wish him well for the period of his loan," he said.

The
Brazilian international joined the Citizens on the first day of the
summer transfer window in 2008. He was the first major signing of the
Sheikh Mansour era at Eastlands, costing a British record fee of £32.5
million from Real Madrid.

He scored 15 goals for the Sky Blues
last season but has often been the target of criticism for a perceived
lack of effort, especially away from the City of Manchester Stadium.