Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has confirmed negotiations have begun with Santos and Sao Paulo over a Robinho loan deal.
Although Robinho has shown flashes of brilliance and remains a favourite among the City faithful, he was unsettled for most of the second half of last season and quit a training camp in Tenerife to return home to Brazil after initially being refused permission by then manager Mark Hughes.
The subsequent sale of close friend Elano to Galatasaray and the exit of Jo for an ultimately ill-fated loan experiment at Everton isolated the 25-year-old even further.
To make matters worse, Robinho has been totally overshadowed by Craig Bellamy in the battle for the left-sided midfield spot that the South American prefers.
With a World Cup looming and no guarantee of a place with the Blues, Robinho has been frantically searching for a solution.
However, City are adamant their British record signing will not be allowed to leave unless all the player's wages are taken care of, something that has ruled Benfica out of the running.
