Sylvinho says Robinho is happy at Man City and rubbished rumours linking him with a return to Spain.
City new-boy says summer signings have boosted Brazilian ace
New Manchester City signing Sylvinho insists his countryman Robinho is happy at the club and rubbished rumours linking him with a return to Spain.
The striker was mooted to be the subject of a last-gasp bid from Barcelona ahead of the transfer window closing on Tuesday but such a deal was rejected outright by Barca manager Pep Guardiola.
The Brazilian international has had to make do with constant rumours linking him with a move away from Eastlands following his £32.5million arrival from Real Madrid just over a year ago.
The 25-year-old was reportedly unsettled after close friend Elano left for Galatasaray in the summer and suggestions over his future arose again when manager Mark Hughes left him on the bench for the trip to Portsmouth at the weekend after some sluggish displays so far this season.
However Sylvinho, who signed from Barcelona last week, insisted that the arrival of Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor had reaffirmed Robinho's belief that City were heading in the right direction.
"This club can help Robinho a lot," he told the
Manchester Evening News. "I didn't speak to him before I came here, I just spoke to him after I arrived last week.
"He told me he is really happy. He is enjoying it because he has scored so many goals.
"He is one of the top players in the world and it is really important to him how the club is moving forward, how it is changing.
"He is really happy that the club has now got Adebayor and Tevez, because that helps him a lot.
Different level
"It puts the club on a different level, and it does the same for Robinho. He is one of the best players in Brazil and plays for the national team, so this kind of help will be really important to him."
Sylvinho refused to compare Robinho with his former Barca team-mate Lionel Messi but did declare that the former Santos youngster was among the top six players on the planet.
"I don't like to compare players, or clubs or coaches," he added.
"In the world there are five or six different players who are at a high level and Robinho is one of them.
"Messi is amazing and is enjoying the best time in his career at Barcelona. He had an amazing season and was one of the best players in the final in Rome.
"He is at a different moment in his life."
