Besiktas launch £16m bid for Man City wantaway Robinho
Published:Turkish club Besiktas are set to end Robinho’s turbulent stay at Manchester City, having launched a £16m bid for the forward which could rise to £26m.
After paying a British record £32.5m to Real Madrid for the Brazilian in 2008, City are hoping to recoup at least half of their expensive outlay.
And if Robinho is successful at Besiktas, City could net a further £10m – in addition to the initial £16m – in performance-related payments.
Besiktas, who are 66/1 to win the Europa League, have signalled their intent this summer by signing Guti from Real Madrid and Inter Milan’s Portuguese winger Ricardo Quaresma.
A move to Besiktas would reunite Robinho with Bernd Schuster, who managed the Brazilian and Guti during his tenure as Real Madrid boss.
And Schuster believes that a deal is imminent: “I am confident that our chairman will do everything in his power to make this possible.”
Numerous other clubs have expressed an interest in signing Robinho, but Besiktas are the only side to have backed up their interest with a concrete bid.
Robinho was keen to move back to his first club Santos having spent a loan spell there last season, though the Brazilian club could not afford to make the move permanent.
Robinho was left out of City’s squad for the Europa League qualifier against Timisoara last night to retain his transfer value by ensuring that he is not cup-tied in the competition.
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