WANTED MAN .... £15m-rated Didier
Drogba.
City, having failed to land Roque Santa Cruz from
Blackburn, are now looking at the alternatives. Drogba has come on
to the radar. But if City make a move, Chelsea boss Phil Scolari
will want Robinho as part of the deal.
Ivory Coast star Drogba, 31 in March, has been axed
from the squad for Chelsea’s last two games and believes the
manager wants to get rid of him.
Meanwhile Scolari has made no secret of his admiration
for Robinho, 25 on Sunday, who had a bust-up with manager Mark
Hughes at City’s training camp in Tenerife and has gone home to
Brazil.
City are determined to keep Robinho. But Scolari is
equally firm about signing him, having missed out on a £32m swoop
on the final day of last summer’s window.
As Sunsport revealed on Saturday, Scolari has only
around £15m to spend and will have to offer other players in
exchange to get Robinho. Drogba could be one, along with want-away
defender Alex plus Salomon Kalou or Florent Malouda.
There is also a debate about whether Robinho can move
this January, because of the FIFA rule which prevents a player
turning out for three clubs in a season.
Robinho played for Real Madrid in Spain’s equivalent of
the Community Shield in August. But his connections claim that is
not a proper match, merely a prestige friendly. That argument would
have to be settled by FIFA’s Player Status Committee.