The Abu Dhabi club Baniyas have confirmed to The National they have launched an ambitious bid to bring former Real Madrid and Manchester City star Robinho to the Arabian Gulf League.
According to media reports in Brazil and Italy, the 31-year-old Brazilian striker, who currently is training with his national team for the Copa America, is ready to leave the Brazil club Santos, where he spent the last season on loan, and accept Baniyas’s offer.
The local side have been in talks with Robinho for “three weeks”, according to tuttomercatoweb.com, and have offered him a two-year deal with wages of US$4.5 million (Dh16.5m) per year.
Mubarak bin Mahroum, the Baniyas chairman, on Tuesday confirmed the club’s pursuit of Robinho.
“We have been in negotiations, but still it’s not finished,” Bin Mahroum said. “We have given him an offer and are waiting for his answer.
“It is his decision now. We have identified a lot of players, but he’s one of our choices. Inshallah, we’re trying.”
If the figures for the Baniyas offer are accurate, it represents a significant improvement on a three-year deal being offered to him by Santos, with annual wages in the region of $2.7m.
Robinho last August considered a move to the UAE; his agent spoke with Al Ahli before the Brazilian opted for a loan move from AC Milan to Santos.
Robinho is a free agent after reaching an agreement with Milan to break free with a year remaining on his contract. However, he could be looking for options elsewhere given financial woes at Santos. According to media reports, the player has not been paid for the past six months.
The club, according to ESPN.com.br, are “waiting for a phone call” from Robinho’s lawyer, Marisa Alija. The lawyer reportedly said: “We still have to talk” with Robinho “and see what is best for him”.
Robinho has not spoken to media in Brazil about his future.
Baniyas are in the market for a striker after parting ways with the Argentine Denis Stracqualursi. They have already sealed one deal for the summer, replacing Palestinian winger Imad Khalili with Australian defender Mark Milligan, who reportedly was in Abu Dhabi last week for talks with the club.
The club, who were eighth in the AGL last season, have not made a decision yet about their Spanish duo of Joan Verdu and Angel Dealbert; management and coach Luis Garcia are still deliberating about the future of those two players.
The Ras Al Khaimah club Emirates, meanwhile, have shown an interest in signing Al Ain’s French midfielder Jires Kembo Ekoko as they look to fill the vacancies on their team roster with foreign players who have been plying their trade in the AGL.
Emirates, who finished 10th last season, have retained only one of their four expatriates – the Moroccan defender Issam Erraki – and released the Brazilian duo of Luiz Henrique and Alexandro da Silva, and South Korean midfielder Shin Jin-ho.
The club have already filled their Asia slot with former Australian international Brett Holman, who failed to get an extension at Al Nasr after two seasons with the President’s Cup champions.
Emirates have also made an addition their squad on the domestic front, signing 23-year-old goalkeeper Saif Rashed from Kalba, who will be playing in Division One next season after finishing at the bottom of the AGL points table.
Ajman, the second club relegated, have gone back to their former coach, the Iraqi Abdulwahab Abdulqadir, a year after refusing to give him an extension because the management wanted change.
They appointed Tunisian Fathi Al Jabal as coach, instead, but replaced him with the Portuguese Manuel Cajuda in January after a poor first half of the season. The change did not stop Ajman’s slide to Division One after four consecutive seasons in the AGL.
arizvi@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
