Robinho wants £34m January move to Barcelona (EPL doesn’t need him!)

BRAZILIAN superstar Robinho wants to join Barcelona in January – but only on a permanent deal.

The Spanish giants are sending a delegation to Abu Dhabi this week to try to thrash out a £34m transfer.

And the Champions League holders are prepared to offer him a six-year, £5m per year deal.

Barcelona have even offered to take Robinho on a six month or 18 month loan with a view to a permanent deal after the Brazilian admitted publicly last month that he wants to quit Eastlands.

But unsettled Robinho has told his advisers and Barcelona that it has to be a permanent deal in January while City are insisting that the final decision lies with manager Mark Hughes.

After five successive draws, Hughes is anxious to buck the trend and get back to winning ways so may now be reluctant to let Robinho go even though Barca are desperate to get their man.

City are flying to Abu Dhabi to play a high profile exhibition match in front of Sheikh Mansour and the super-rich club owner is under no pressure to sell so Barcelona will have to do a lot of wheeling and dealing to land Robinho.

Meanwhile, City are monitoring Rio Ave’s Portugal under-21 defender Fabio Faria who is also being watched by Benfica.

Faria, 20, is rated in the £4m class by his club and his contract expires in 2011 with City keen to boost their squad, especially with promising young players.