Chelsea step up efforts to land Robinho

CHELSEA have stepped up the pace in their efforts to sign Real Madrid forward Robinho before the start of the season.

Vagner Ribeiro, the Brazil star’s agent, has admitted to holding talks with Chelsea officials and reports in Spain suggest the Premier League club are ready to splash out €35m to bring Robinho to Stamford Bridge.

“It’s true that Chelsea are interested in signing Robinho,” Ribeiro said. “They have been after him for a while and there has been much more contact since (Felipe) Scolari became the new Chelsea coach.

“I met with (Frank) Arnesen in London and he confirmed to me that Chelsea wanted my player for next season.”

Ribeiro also claimed Real are undervaluing Robinho and not treating him as he deserves.

The Primera Liga champions are reportedly keen to offload the player to free up some cash to buy Cristiano Ronaldo, but Ribeiro insists his client is as good as, if not better than, the Manchester United star.

“Neither Robinho nor I like the fact that Real Madrid can use him as part exchange in their bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo,” he continued. “We don’t like this attitude and we want Madrid to start valuing Robinho because at the moment they’re not.

“Robinho is as good a player as Cristiano Ronaldo or better. The difference is that Cristiano Ronaldo reached the Champions League final and Robinho didn’t. But if Robinho had won such a title he would be at the same level as Cristiano.”

Robinho played an important role in Madrid’s league success last season — scoring 11 goals in 32 games – and enjoyed his best campaign since joining the club in 2005.

Ribeiro claims the 24-year-old is not keen to leave the Bernabeu but that he would seriously consider doing so if Madrid continue to undervalue him.

“Robinho’s priority is to continue at Real Madrid,” he added. “But he cannot stay in a place in which they don’t recognise his talent and at the moment Real Madrid are not doing that and I’m not talking about money. I’m referring to the fact that they are undervaluing him in comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Meanwhile Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has revealed he is keen to sign Porto winger Ricardo Quaresma.

The highly-rated 24-year-old joined Porto shortly after Mourinho’s departure for Chelsea in 2004, and has gone on to become one of the most sought after players in Europe.

Inter are reported to have already begun negotiations with the Portuguese champions, and Mourinho admits that Quaresma is one of the players he would like to see in his revamped squad.

“I’ll admit I’d like to have Quaresma. He’s a player with the profile that we’re interested in,” he revealed.

However, he added: “I don’t like creating pressure when it comes to negotiations by saying ‘this is the player I want and I don’t want any other.”’

Reports suggest that Inter are willing to pay €25m for the winger’s services, and will also include fringe player Pele in the deal.

Another Porto player, defender Bruno Alves, and Chelsea’s Frank Lampard are both names being discussed in reference to a move to the Nerazzurri.

Mourinho admitted he would like to have both players but insisted it was unlikely.

“Bruno Alves is a player I like, I have no problems admitting that, but at Inter we already have four quality centre backs,” he continued.

On Lampard, he added: “This season? I don’t think so. Why won’t he? Well, it’s not because we don’t want him to, but I’m sure Chelsea and Chelsea’s officials don’t want to sell him.

“However for the next season it will be easier for him to join me at Inter. I’m 100% sure in 2009/2010 he will be playing here.”