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Barca dampen Robinho speculation

Manchester City forward Robinho's hopes of a move to Barcelona appear to be over according to Joan Laporta.
Manchester City forward Robinho's hopes of a move to Barcelona appear to be over according to Joan Laporta.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed Man City forward Robinho will not be joining the La Liga champions.
  • Robinho had spoken of his desire to move to the La Liga champions in September of this year.
  • Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni has been told he can leave the club during the forthcoming transfer window.
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(CNN) -- Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed Robinho will not be joining the La Liga champions after a bid for the forward was rejected by Manchester City.

The 25-year-old Brazilian has been linked with a move to newly-crowned world champions in the forthcoming transfer window after he publicly stated his desire to move to the club in September.

But Laporta admitted a deal to bring the former Real Madrid playmaker to the Nou Camp now looks increasingly unlikely.

"We are pleased with our squad and if we have to do some fine-tuning we will," Laporta told Barcelona newspaper Sport.

"Our offer for Robinho was not accepted and this team we have will not be added to, unless something unforeseen arises at the last minute."

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni looks set to depart the Allianz Arena in the near future after president Uli Hoeness confirmed he can leave the German Budesliga club.

The 32-year-old Italian international has struggled to hold down a place at Bayern under new coach Louis van Gaal and is keen to secure regular football in a bid to force his way in Italy coach Marcello Lippi's World Cup plans.

We still have no firm offers, although we're prepared to loan him out with no fee or let him go, because we want peace and quiet.
--Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness on striker Luca Toni

Toni was also fined by the club in November after he left the ground and drove home at half-time following his substitution in Bayern's 1-1 draw with Schalke.

"I don't know what'll happen with Luca Toni. We still have no firm offers, although we're prepared to loan him out with no fee or let him go, because we want peace and quiet," Hoeness told the club's Web site.

"The media will continue making a big thing out of Luca Toni for as long as he's our player. That won't necessarily give us the stability and calm we need. Let's wait and see. The transfer window opens on 1 January."

Hoeness was more guarded on the future of promising midfielder Toni Kroos who has impressed while on a season-long loan with Bayer Leverkusen.

He added: "If it had to be answered today, I'd say he has to come back. But we'll see what happens when the time comes. We'll sit down with the player and Bayer Leverkusen in March or April, and then we'll talk it through with our coach."