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Robinho: Manchester City’s first galacticos signing.

By Jason Bardwell

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 11: Robinho of Manchester City looks on as a substitute during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium on January 11, 2010 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 11: Robinho of Manchester City looks on as a substitute during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers at the City of Manchester Stadium on January 11, 2010 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
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Later tonight, Manchester City take on Feyenoord in the Champions League. That game will mark our sixth successive Champions League adventure in which we have played Europe’s top clubs, and even beaten some. Bayern, Barcelona and PSG have all been on the wrong end of a result against City.

It hasn’t always been smooth running getting to where we are currently and, for sure, there is still a way to go. But we are getting closer to where our owners wanted us to be when they took control in 2008. The transfer windows initially for City were expensive, sometimes overpaying for quality or experience by quite some amount.

In more recent times the transfer policy, while still involving big money, seems to be thinking of a long-term plan. An investment in quality young players and, of course, the development of the academy.

When the Abu Dhabi United Group purchased City we had just seen Sven Goren-Eriksson leave us after that 8-1 defeat against Middlesbrough. A game in which, it seemed, the players had given up. Our owner for the year, Thaksin Shinawatra, was in trouble in his homeland. Even the double over Manchester United from that season did little to give us long-suffering City fans any real hope that we were heading the right direction.

After the takeover was finalized, and on the last day of the transfer window, a signing was announced which had the footballing world, never mind just City fans, with jaws ajar. A 24-year-old Brazilian forward stood proudly next to then manager, Mark Hughes. Okay, so initially he thought he’d signed for Chelsea, but we won’t mention that. He was our first big money, big name signing and I for one was excited.

Chelsea had been in for him and, to be fair to the Brazilian, it was a hectic final push from City. For 32.5 million City grabbed his signature, with Chelsea feeling something they hadn’t been used to. Being outbid!

HIs debut came on this day in 2008, ironically as football tends to do, against the club he thought he’d signed for. A beautifully taken free kick in the 13th minute had the Eastlands buzzing. However, it wouldn’t be City’s day in the end, with Chelsea having multiple million pound players and us with just the one. Frank Lampard, who would later join City, and Anelka, who had left City wrapped up the points for the visitors following Carvalho’s head and Joe Coles heel combining for the equalizer.

Related Story: Champions League Group F: City Go Dutch In Group Opener.

In the end, Robinho wouldn’t be the player to take City to that next level. Only 53 appearances and a return of 16 goals, over the space of two seasons wasn’t exactly the return we expected. As such, he was loaned to Santos in January 2010 before being sold to AC Milan for less than half the fee we paid.

If it makes us feel any better, he didn’t exactly set Milan alight either. Four seasons with a total of 32 goals in all competitions