Cook repeats Robinho stance

City chief says striker is not meeting with Barca officials this week

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 11th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Cook repeats Robinho stance

Cook: Not meeting with Barca officials

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Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook has echoed manager Mark Hughes' sentiments that Robinho will not leave in January.

The Brazilian has been constantly linked with a move to Barcelona since the summer but so far City have remained defiant in their bid to keep hold of their record signing.

However, comments from the player himself, saying he would be interested in joining the Catalan giants, have only increased the recent speculation.

The former Real Madrid star, who has missed City's last 11 games with an ankle injury, has flown with the rest of the squad to a training camp in Abu Dhabi but will have his ankle assessed by Brazilian physios in nearby Qatar ahead of the clash with England on Saturday.

Robinho is expected to play no part in the friendly but rumours have suggested the player's representatives will meet with Barca officials in the Far East, something which Cook strenuously denies.

"There are no plans to meet Barcelona here this week. One of the things we always say to Robinho is that there seems to be a lot of people claiming to represent him," he said.

"But we only speak to his father, who Robinho himself says is his only representative. His father is not here, so we assume everyone else is up to their tricks.

"Categorically, there is nothing on anyone's agenda, whether it is the chairman's, mine, or, Mark's."

Rediscover buzz

Cook believes City need to rediscover the 'buzz' they had around the club at the time of the Arsenal game, with City winning just once more in the Premier League since their 4-2 success over the Gunners, including a run of five consecutive league draws.

"There was a buzz about the place when we played Arsenal," he added. "Everybody's expectations were high but we got disjointed a little bit.

"We lost [Emmanuel] Adebayor for a little bit and then international games broke our momentum up.

"Since then we have had a couple of games where we thought we could have probably come away with a better result but that is the way it works."

Despite the successive draws, Cook is pleased with the progress City have made this season.

"Overall we are quite pleased with out progress," he pointed out. "If someone had said at the beginning of the season we would be fourth after 10 Premier League games and in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup, we would have taken it.

"We have gone through many years at this football club where survival has been the order of the day. Today it is about success."

Meanwhile, City have also announced a three-year sponsorship deal with Middle East telecommunications company Etisalat.

Comments (12)

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Dave Graham (Everton fan) says...

I hope the Barca chase Robhino and get him. Just like what they done with Lescott and Everton. What goes around comes around!

Posted 14:56 11th November 2009

Andrew Evans (Manchester United fan) says...

Was only a matter of time, money doesn't make you a big club - trophies, success and history do that. City's owners should surely learn and go for players who suit the club - not trying to make the club suit the players. They probably won't learn though but City won't make the CL this season, they will spend big in January and in the close season and will probably make 4th next season (probably costing around £600m in player purchases and wages). Most expensive CL spot in history.

Posted 14:31 11th November 2009

Jordan Dwyer (Manchester United fan) says...

What everyone seems to forget is that Robinho WANTED to leave Real last year & City were the only club who could afford him!.. If any of the top 4 teams went in for him as well as City,do you seriously think he really would of gone there?.. City have made sum good,established Premier League signings of late but this season all the players need to get to know each other b4 critics start talking abt them winning the league or qualifying for the CL,i think they will do well in the next few yrs but that's only if Mark Hughes can keep all the ego's under control!.. Bellamy,Adebayor & Tevez are all money grabbers,i think it'll be interesting to see where City finish this season & if those 3 players'll be at Eastlands next season..

Posted 14:13 11th November 2009

Paul Westby (Manchester United fan) says...

Henry!!!???!!!! What a joker! Hes at the biggest club in the world, why OH why would be move to...wait for it....... CITY ahahahaha Dream World!!! Same with Kaka, same with Terry. Your dreaming!!!

Posted 13:52 11th November 2009

John Connett (Manchester United fan) says...

Dont blame him for leaving i wouldnt want to stay there, city are a disgrace to football they think they can buy success well think again.

Posted 13:48 11th November 2009

Stephen Frisch (Chelsea fan) says...

City should never have bought Robinho in the 1st place, he is a player that needs to be in the champ league and competing for trophies, it was a matter of time before he got unsettled, he should have come to Chelsea in the 1st place the Idiot...

Posted 13:25 11th November 2009

Nick Stenersen (Manchester United fan) says...

Henry is a legend in the EPL. What makes you think he would EVER go to City? Especially after how Adebayor treated Arsenal- probably the one premier league team he would come back to. (As he has already stated)

Posted 13:08 11th November 2009

Chris Taylor (Manchester City fan) says...

Kieran Kerr is a typical red, dumb and blinkered, Robinho knew where he was coming and what he was getting himself in to not everyone in the world is as stupid as you Kieran......

Posted 12:54 11th November 2009

Collins Sanika (Ipswich Town fan) says...

I like sky sport because there good at updating

Posted 12:30 11th November 2009

Simon O-peters (Arsenal fan) says...

Whoa! I think Mr. Robby Had found out that there is more to the game of football than crisp of Money - unlike some of his team mates. It was a shame he ran after money in the first place, as a punishment City must not not allow him to leave for Barca on loan. He should stay and make City the dream team he seek. Who know? They may be able to win the Carling Cup for a start in the next 5 years if they continue to throw away the kind of money they shown till then.

Posted 12:25 11th November 2009

Kieran Kerr (Manchester United fan) says...

come on people lets face it we all know city are not a big enough club to daw these top class players let alone keep hold of them when the player was duped ino signing for them - Robihno flew to manchester thinking he was being signed by the red half - it wasnt till the press conference and handed him a sky blue shirt that he realised his mistake ;)

Posted 11:55 11th November 2009

Scott Lea (Manchester City fan) says...

im a big manchester city fan and im sick of haering all thease rumours of our best player going to barca i think robi is a great player but if his heart isnt with city he wont play so as hard as it is to say this let him go petrov and bellamy are more than capeable of filling his shoes but i will say this if he goes to barca either on loan or permanant henry should come the other way

Posted 11:05 11th November 2009
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