Football Talk - Robinho flattered by Barcelona talk - 09/09/09
Robinho has admitted that he is flattered by reports linking him with a move to Barcelona in January, adding that it is "not easy" to turn down Pep Guardiola's European champions.
The Brazilian joined Manchester City from Real Madrid last summer in a British record £32m deal, but recent reports have indicated that Robinho could well return to Spain to join Madrid's arch-rivals, Barca. The Spanish champions are believed to be searching for a left-sided attacker and Robinho would be a natural replacement for the ageing Thierry Henry .
"It's not easy to say no to a club like Barcelona," Robinho is quoted in The Guardian. "They are European champions, they're in a lovely city and I like Spain a lot. I have always wanted to play at clubs like Barcelona. It's a great club, any player would be happy for them to show an interest. I'm happy that Barcelona have taken notice of me. Who wouldn't like to play alongside Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta, [Lionel] Messi, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and all the rest? I like Barcelona; they're a great club."
Robinho was left out of the squad to face Portsmouth before the international break. He was quoted as saying that he did not want to risk a minor ankle injury because Brazil's World Cup qualifier in Argentina was "more important", although the club claimed his comments had been taken out of context.
