Messi still in Man City radar – Robinho

Robinho has claimed Manchester City owner, Sheikh Mansour, told him the club would sign both Kaka and Lionel Messi someday.
Exciting forward Robinho, lured from Real Madrid to the blue half of Manchester in September 2008, was the first major arrival after the club was taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group.
The Brazilian initially shone at Eastlands but then struggled for consistency and returned to boyhood club Santos on loan before moving to AC Milan.
Now back home and playing for Atletico Mineiro, the 33-year-old is gratified to see City leading the Premier League and playing good football after some early, optimistic transfer plans did not come to fruition.
“I spoke a few times with the owner Sheikh Mansour,” he said.
“He told me he was going to go big to get Kaka and Lionel Messi. Kaka was close. But Messi… I think Messi was beyond them.
“But I believed in the project and surely Messi is still in Man City’s radar. The Sheikh had the ambition to create the best team in the world and now look at them. They have the best manager in the world in Pep Guardiola and can go toe-to-toe with anyone.”
Robinho also claims his reputation for enjoying an active social life away from the pitch in Manchester was somewhat unfair.
“There was an image of me as a party guy,” he said.
“And yes, I liked to party. But you know, the English boys were going out more than the Brazilians! Joe Hart was out all the time, Micah Richards the same, Shaun Wright-Phillips was always out!
“But when the Brazilians went out we were always caught.”
Robinho has not played for Brazil since a friendly against Colombia in January to raise funds for the victims of the Chapecoense air crash, but he remains available for selection ahead of next year’s World Cup.