London, Sept. 3 : Chelsea coach Phil Scolari is fuming that Manchester City beat him to sign Brazilian striker Robinho.

Scolari says that after news of the signing leaked out, he felt “angry and let down.”

The Chelsea boss saw the Brazil striker as the missing piece in his Blues jigsaw, reports The Sun.

Scolari is bitterly frustrated that his Stamford Bridge outfit did not equal City’s deadline-day bid for the player. The club’s record of paying over-the-odds for less talented players than Robinho has left Scolari mystified at their actions.

Chelsea originally agreed to a fee of 28.4 million pounds for Robinho and both Scolari and the Blues’ chief executive officer Peter Kenyon made comments to the effect that the deal was done.

But subsequent rows with Real wrecked that agreement and when news of City’s bid emerged there were late calls between Chelsea’s hierarchy on what to do.

Billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and Kenyon had agreed they would not meet Real’s asking price of 32.5 million pounds.

And on Monday evening Robinho’s agent, Wagner Ribeiro, assured Chelsea that the player would not sign at Eastlands.

Real would therefore have to sell for a lower fee to Chelsea or keep hold of an unhappy star.

Yet that position changed dramatically as midnight approached and Robinho was told by Real he had to go to Manchester City.

Scolari reportedly made an 11th-hour call to convince Robinho to snub a City move. But, minutes later, the player went for a British record 32.5 million pounds. (ANI)