By Soccernet staff
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Manchester City have allowed record signing Robinho to join
Santos on a six-month loan deal.
GettyImages
Robinho was unhappy with Mancini's selection policy
ahead of his hopes of playing for Brazil at the World Cup
City confirmed in a statement on their website that the
Brazilian club will pay all of the player's wages and bonuses for
the period, which begins immediately and ends on August 4.
Manager Roberto Mancini said: "Robinho is someone who needs to
be playing regularly and we wish him well for the period of his
loan."
The Brazilian, who cost £32 million on transfer deadline day in
September 2008, has been unsettled at City for some time and spoke
on Sunday of his desire to return to the club where he made his
name as a teenager.
Speaking in a radio interview last week, Robinho admitted he was
not playing well for City, but complained that he was not being
allowed to play regularly under Mancini.
"The coach was very sincere with me and said that I would play
every other match," he said. "I told him that would not be
interesting to me, it's a World Cup year."
Robinho said he wanted to return to Brazil to boost his chances
of securing a place on Brazil's World Cup side. He first played for
Santos at the age of 15 and led them to their first Brazilian title
in 2002 when just 18. He first moved to Europe in the summer of
2005 but failed to impress at Real Madrid, from whom City signed
him when Chelsea was his expected destination.