Chelsea’s long-running pursuit of Robinho should become clearer in the next 48 hours after a series of meetings in London between the Brazilian and Predrag Mijatovic, the Real Madrid sporting director. Real will take part in the Emirates Cup, which is hosted by Arsenal and includes Juventus and SV Hamburg, this weekend and Mijatovic is planning to take advantage of the meetings by offering the player a new five-year contract.

Real have all but given up hope of signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United this summer, increasing their determination to keep hold of Robinho, while giving in to his request for an improved deal. Robinho has been at a training camp in Austria, a period of solitude that could bring financial rewards as Real are ready to offer him a new contract worth £2.5 million a year for the first two years, rising by £1 million for the final three years.

The 24-year-old could earn more at Chelsea, but, given his valuation of £30 million and the clubs’ failure to agree a fee, he may be tempted to sign an extension at the Bernabéu. Robinho remains Chelsea’s principal target, although Luiz Felipe Scolari claims that he is happy with his squad and is by no means desperate to add to the signings of Deco and José Bosingwa.

“If we add A, B or C player, then great,” the Chelsea manager said. “But I have good players with quality. Do not forget that I have Africans who have more or less the characteristics of the South American player.” Scolari also claims that he has been told by Roman Abramovich, the owner, that the priority is to win trophies rather than deliver the fantasy football that the Russian is said to crave.

“I am not contracted to play pretty, but to win championships,” Scolari said. “If you play well and win championships, great. This is the philosophy that the owner wants. There wasn’t a situation that Roman said to me: ‘We have to play beautiful.’ He said: ‘Do better for Chelsea.’ That’s it. I met with him twice and we talked about football as two ordinary people, not as owner of a club and the coach.”

Chelsea face Lokomotiv Moscow in the Railways Cup tournament, which starts this evening and features AC Milan and Seville. Carlo Ancelotti, the Milan coach, said yesterday that the club have given up hope of re-signing Andriy Shevchenko from Chelsea.