Robinho ready to join forces with Chelsea for £19.75m

Chelsea stepped up their pursuit of Robinho last night by offering Real Madrid £19.75 million for the Brazil forward. Robinho became Chelsea's top transfer target when Luiz Felipe Scolari replaced Avram Grant as manager last month and Chelsea are confident that he will be at Stamford Bridge before the end of the month. The Spanish champions, who are licking their wounds after they failed to persuade Manchester United to part with Cristiano Ronaldo, have been given a taste of their own medicine after Robinho told them that he wants to move to London. Real are not used to players asking to leave the Bernabéu, but Robinho's head has been turned after Chelsea offered to double his wages to £70,000 a week. Robinho, 24, has endured a difficult summer in the Spanish capital and expressed his disappointment in June that Real were... [read full story]