<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Real Madrid star Robinho was close to joining Arsenal last summer, according to the Brazilian's agent. Robinho's representative, Wagner Ribeiro, claims the playmaker was a target of Arsenal as manager Arsene Wenger attempted to compensate for the loss of star striker Thierry Henry to Real's Spanish rivals Barcelona. And, according to Ribeiro, Robinho was close to accepting the offer as he was unhappy at warming the Bernabeu bench under former boss Fabio Capello. Ribeiro says he approached Pedrag Mijatovic about Robinho's situation and that the Real director immediately quashed the prospect of the 24-year-old moving to England. Mijatovic talks "In 2007 I had talks with Mijatovic and I said to him that Robinho was not happy at Real Madrid because Capello had him on the bench and he didn't play," Ribeiro told told the Spanish media. "Robinho had a proposal from Arsenal and he said that if his situation did not change then he would go to London. In that moment Mijatovic said that he didn't agree and that Robinho will be the best player in the world and that he wanted him to stay at Real Madrid." However, Ribeiro has hinted that, while Robinho is happy at Real, the Brazil international is considering his future in Spain. "In June it will be three years since Robinho joined Madrid. He likes the city and Real very much. He is totally adapted, but he is professional."</div> Link
