Swap deal for Henry could tempt Hughes

Ian Herbert
Friday 16 October 2009 00:00 BST
Comments
(AP)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Mark Hughes did not revive the interest in Thierry Henry this summer that he had in the player in January but the prospect of a deal to bring him to Manchester City seems more likely after Robinho said it would be "fun" to play for Barcelona.

"Of course I'd enjoy playing for Barça," Robinho told Spanish media. "Who wouldn't? We could have so much fun. It would be a pleasure to play alongside Messi, my compadre Dani Alves, Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic. They're a great team. I played against them and know their quality. But right now I can only do it on the PlayStation."

Robinho, whose place in the City side is by no means assured when he returns from injury, said that neither he nor his agent – his father Gilvan de Souza – have been informed of any bid from Barcelona. It would be "wrong to talk about this hypothetical transfer until there was a formal offer," he said. But he lavished praise on the Catalans. "It is a pleasure to see Barça play, they seem to be like Brazilians in how they use the ball," he said. "Pep Guardiola's team are real entertainers."

The performances of City's newly-assembled ranks allow the club to be relaxed about the Robinho's comments. They can afford to keep paying his wages but would probably recoup their £32.5m if they sold him. Some kind of exchange with Henry might appeal to Hughes, who wants a player with proven Premier League experience.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in