Robinho Signs For Manchester City In an Amazing Sequence Of Events

Fact is often stranger than fiction. I am sat here in front on my TV with my laptop on my lap and with Sky Sports News on in the background in a sense of shock.

In a quite amazing sequence of events, Manchester City have waded into the Robinho transfer saga and stole the player from under the noses of Chelsea.

Sky Sports News are reporting that the deal agreed between the two clubs is for a British record fee of £32.5 million pounds (around 40 million Euros). Robinho will be paid £92,000 a week in wages.

Ramon Calderon confirmed that the club had agreed to sell Robinho to City in an interview with Canal Veo TV.

"We have sold Robinho for reasons of human nature," Calderon said.

"The fact is that we have accepted an offer for Manchester City, and that he is not going for sporting reasons.

"I can't rule out a new signing in December, now that [without Robinho] we have a free slot. But right now there's nobody in the market that we can move for."

Mark Hughes is unsurprisingly delighted with the deal.

"I am absolutely delighted to get the opportunity to work with such an incredible talent like Robinho," Hughes said.

"I have said that in order to compete with the best teams in the Premier League we have to be in the market for players of this calibre, and Robinho is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world.

"I am really looking forward to introducing him to the rest of the squad, and to the City fans at the earliest opportunity. This is a real statement of intent as to the ambitions of Manchester City Football Club."

The club are newly flushed financially after being taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group this afternoon. The takeover sparked a flurry of activity from City, who were linked with the likes of David Villa and Dimitar Berbatov.

The move represents a massive slap in the face for Chelsea, who were confident of signing the Brazilian. The club had two bids rejected earlier on in the summer, and last week Peter Kenyon expressed his confidence that a deal would be completed.

Real Madrid complained about Chelsea's pursuit of Robinho, and it seems that Chelsea's conduct has put Madrid off negotiating with them.

Earlier on in the evening I wrote an article assessing the potential repercussions of Chelsea's failure to sign Robinho, and my words are ringing worryingly true.