Manchester City rope in Robinho

Manchester: Manchester City, boosted by a takeover by an Abu Dhabi investment group on Monday, beat Chelsea to the signing of Brazil striker Robinho by agreeing to pay Real Madrid a British-record 32.5 million-pound transfer fee (US$58.5 million) on Monday.

Robinho had repeatedly spoken of his desire to leave the Spanish champion for Chelsea, but City, made a huge offer for the 24-year-old forward.

With Madrid unwilling to sell to Chelsea because of poor relations between the clubs, City was able to reach an agreement on the final day of English football's summer transfer window.

"I am absolutely delighted to get the opportunity to work with such an incredible talent like Robinho," City manager Mark Hughes said on the club's website. "I have said that in order to compete with the best teams in the Premier League we have to be in the market for players of this caliber, and Robinho is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world."