Chelsea have risked angering Real Madrid by advertising replica Robinho shirts for sale before the transfer for the Brazil forward has been completed.
Chief executive Peter Kenyon is confident of wrapping up the deal for the 24-year-old, with Chelsea's official offer online pre-empting the move by taking orders for kits with Robinho's name printed and the number 'to be confirmed'.
Despite Real president Ramon Calderon insisting "the coach and the sports director want the player to stay and I am sure he will", Robinho's departure from the Bernabeu appears inevitable.
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard believes Robinho could "light up the league".
"He is a fantastic player, I saw a lot of him last season watching the Spanish games. He had a very good season until he got injured and it broke his season up a bit," Lampard said on official Chelsea website chelseafc.com.
"He has great flair, and something that would be nice to bring into our team. We have flair players already but he is another option and he could light up the league.
"He will have to get used to it because it is different to Spain, but he showed he is a world-class player both at Madrid and for Brazil, and world-class players adapt."
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- Frank Lampard
- Peter Kenyon
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