GettyImagesBrazil duo Pato and Robinho both linked with a return to homeland

"Robinho has told us he wants to go home to Brazil. If he changes his mind, then we will be very happy to keep him, but if he wants to go then its right he does." After months of speculation linking him with a return to his beloved Santos, Massimiliano Allegri finally revealed the worst kept secret at Milan, Robson de Souza wants to go home.

- Allegri: Robinho wants to leave

Rumours have swung back and forth over the last month, with the player's father denying that the Brazilian was aching for a return to his homeland as soon as January, but there was little doubt he would depart in the summer. However, reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday suggested Milan chief Adriano Galliani was scheduled to fly out to Brazil in order to negotiate transfer details as early as Sunday.

Having initially had a miserly €5 million bid rejected, Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro was unequivocal in his response as an improved bid was inevitable. "We are talking every day. Negotiations are continuing and this is not over," he told the Brazilian media as he looks to tie up a deal for his primary transfer target.

Robinho arrived in Milan back in August 2010, scoring 15 goals in all competitions en route to winning the Scudetto in his first year with the club. However, with his creative ability and eye for goal blighted by his tendency to miss glaring goal-scoring opportunities in big game situations, he had become a frustrating figure. Yet as he works his way back to full fitness, he has proved decisive at times this season, with Allegri highlighting what "a great professional" he is.

So the question is, will Milan miss Robinho? Yes and no. Yes in the sense that having sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano and losing Clarence Seedorf in the summer, there is an evident lack of creativity in the Milan squad. Despite his flaws, Robinho still has a footballing brain that allows him to see passes and make runs which others simply don't, and that makes him a vital part of the Rossoneri's attacking options.

In contrast, is he really the same player he was back in 2010? More often than not when presented with a one-on-one situation with a defender, Robinho will come out on the losing side. His trademark flying runs down the left flank are few and far between, as are his decisive contributions with Stephan El Shaarawy making that position his own, forcing 'Binho to play more centrally or on the right. There is no doubting his ability and a quick glance at his trophy record will confirm his success over the years. However, financially there are arguably better, and younger, options out there.

With Robinho's future almost certainly lying away from Milanello, reports surfaced on Monday in the Italian media that Corinthians, fresh from their Club World Cup success, had made a €15m bid for Alexandre Pato. Sky Sport Italia claimed the bid had indeed been made, but Milan were unlikely to accept the offer for the 23-year-old.

With Galliani reportedly set for his trip to Brazil, is he there to discuss the potential transfer of Pato in addition to his countryman? Should he be there to discuss Pato too? There is much uncertainty surrounding the future of Milan's Brazilian duo, while Milanello will be a duller place without them, would San Siro really miss them?

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