Brazil forward Robinho said on Friday he was determined to leave Real Madrid and sign for Chelsea before the transfer deadline expires next weekend. "I've told the president, the directors and the coach that my aim is to leave Real Madrid," the 24-year-old told Spanish news agency EFE in an interview.
"I'm telling the truth. I want to leave and I have got the character to tell the press that I'm not aiming to stay at Real Madrid...I want to play in the Premier League next season," he added.
"Chelsea have a great squad, a great team and their offer is good for me and for the team...It isn't because of money, it is simply because I want to leave. My personal aim is to be the best player in the world and that isn't going to be possible at Real Madrid."
Robinho is reported to be unhappy because Real were prepared to sell him in order to raise funds in their unsuccessful attempt to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United and for the club's refusal to release him to play at the Olympic Games.
The Brazilian, who joined Real from Santos in August 2005 after a tug-of-war transfer saga, had been a target of Chelsea and their new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for most of the off-season before the West London club made a formal offer for him on August 7. No terms of the bid were made public, though British media reports said at the time that Chelsea were prepared to pay 19.7 million pounds ($36.79 million).
Last week Real president Ramon Calderon said the player would not be leaving, while coach Bernd Schuster has said that Robinho is an important part of his future plans. However, Spanish media reported on Friday that Real could reconsider their position if Chelsea made an offer of around 40 million euros ($59.46 million).