Having already spent a value-for-money £12m on the England midfielder, the Blues boss is now hoping to bring in at least two strikers and an additional central defender as he bids to bolster his squad ahead of the players’ return to action at the beginning of July.
After Real Madrid, the Blues could conceivably end the summer window as Europe’s second biggest spenders and Hughes has been quick to praise chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and owner Sheikh Mansour, who are yet to celebrate their first anniversary in charge, for their unwavering support.
“Khaldoon is a great person and I think our first season was a big learning curve for everyone at the club,” declared Hughes, who has been set the target of a top six finish this time around.
“I think he would say that it was the same for him too. The business of football is different from any other type of business in the world and I think that there was a learning process going on for everybody.
“I think it is fair to say that out of all the businesses that Khaldoon is involved with this is the one that excites him the most. This is a results-driven business and the success can be more instant than anything else and therefore more stimulating.
“Khaldoon has a real understanding about the game as well and he knows where the club needs to go. He has always been consistent with his messages and I have been consistent with mine to him and Sheikh Mansour.
“Last season I never promised that we would be anywhere above where we were. I have always said that if we build properly and correctly then we will be successful but that it will take time.
“Whenever the chairman speaks you sense that he is a man that understands the problems that are incumbent when you are the manager of a club that is in transition and that his patience is there for all to see.
“I think everyone is excited about what lies ahead for the club because of what we have gone through this season. We will be working from a stronger position right from the word go rather than having to address things that perhaps needed to be addressed a few seasons back.”
It is Sheikh Mansour’s billions that are bankrolling the Blues bid to break into Premier League’s Champions League qualification slots and Hughes is one of the few City employees to have met and spoken face-to-face with the Abu Dhabi Prince.
“I have spent some time in his company during which I went through my feelings of where the cub was, where it needed to go and what it would take to get there,” revealed the manager.
“He very quickly gave support to my plans. He gives people the responsibility to get the job done and then it is up to Khaldoon, Garry Cook and me to get on with it and do the job to the best of our abilities and that is what we are trying to do.”
That will include more shrewd purchases and possibly some sales that are not only exciting the supporters but also members of the present squad.
Micah Richards, who is on duty with the England under 21 side bidding for glory in the forthcoming European Championships in Sweden, admits that he is excited by the prospect of teaming up with former Villa star Barry.
“Once the under 21s tournament is finished there’s not long until pre-season starts with City, and, although last season was a long one, I can’t wait to get going again as we look to improve on last term,” he declared.
“We all expected there to be a lot of new signings this summer, and the gaffer has already made one in Gareth, who is a great signing for the team.
“To have players of his quality in the squad will give us a massive boost next season, and it looks like there’ll be plenty more to come over the next few weeks.
“There’ll be lots of speculation until the new campaign starts in August, and we are all looking forward to seeing who the new arrivals will be.”
Hughes, meanwhile, will welcome back Brazilian striker Jo and Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim to his squad in July after they completed loans at Everton and Sunderland respectively. He has not ruled out doing similar deals this season.
“If we feel there are opportunities for players who have been loaned out to go on loan again then we will look at that,” he confirmed.
To read more of Mark Hughes’s thoughts see this month’s official City Magazine.
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If we are to loan players out again this season, then let TBH go to FC United thats about his level. CTID
Sheik's, was the transfer of Robinho a one off? Should we expect to have to settle for the like of RSC and Crouch?
Things seem to have gone a little quiet, get Tevez tied down and push forward for others, act fast before Manure realise having sold Ronaldo they need him!
twinkle toes has gone i think tevez wont be coming to city now
yeah yeah yeah.......where's Tevez?
Thank you Mr Khaldoon for bringing opportunity, stability and hope to the fans (most of us anyway!!) and players of OUR football club. Here's to a successful future....cheers....
In KAM, GC&MH We TRUST. CTID
Having read this article myself in the current city mag,i quote Hughes saying,i will do the transfers quick and as efficiently as i can however even though i would like all targets in before pre-season,it could be that were still in negotiations up until deadline day.
Come on Mark do your business,I'm getting into trouble at work in anticipation because i find myself constantly surfing the web.
Also rumor has it that nited have excepted a bid for 80 mil for ronaldo,and they say were trying too ruin football.
TEVEZ anyone????
send ben-haim straight back out again please
Micah's not the only one who's looking forward to seeing who the new arrivals will be!
funniest thing today is the news that nitid arent big enough for ronaldo and that 80million isnt ruining football.....come on you blues.
Not directly linked to this article BUT reading other posts recently about concerns over why we've not signed more players yet...it would be somewhat foolish to sign a player whilst away on international duty incase he got injured. We should see more activity now that most of our supposed targets have played their international games. Barry was too good an option to wait for & the Tevez deal (if there is one) was never going to be straight forward - let's see what happens over the next week or so BUT we can all be assured that there will be some quality coming in and some dead wood going out.
So what's the bobby with Carlos then?? That's what we want to know!
I would certainly hope that we are going to be in the market for more than just one central defender and two strikers. We haven't got a forward worthy of the name at the club at the moment. Cass and Boj are reasonable, but if we're being honest they ain't ever gonna be prolific and truthfully they're back up material only, Bellamy and Benji are always injured not to mention knocking on a bit, Mr Big Potatoes is pushing off to Chelsea, and Evans and Vass is Hull City standard at best. I'd keep Bellers and possibly Cass but neither should be starting if we're truly aiming for the top.
We are also weak out wide. Petrov is a serial lightweight, 1 good game in 5, Robi is better suited to playing off a big target man, which leaves SWP as our only real consistent threat down the flanks. Bridge, for all his faults, is demonstrably the only left back Hughes has any faith in, so unless young McGivern comes up trumps, we are defficient there, as we are at centre half, where Dunney and Micah are error prone and Nedum, for all that he had a good season, not the tallest at 5ft 11'.
Two centre halves (perm 2 from Toure, Lescott and Hangeland), three forwards (Tevez, Etoo and a big lummox would all do, though I have my doubts as to whether we're being played like saps by the agents of the first two names on that list) and a decent wideman (I'd take Young, Milner or that Elia chappy at Twente who skinned Zab inside out back in Nov) are must haves if we are to mount a serious challenge for a Europa League spot next season, never mind the Chimps League. Over to you, your Sheikhiness!
Funny to watch utd fall apart with Ronaldo set to leave, but has this funny news got some sting in the tail for City? Will tevez stay on the dark side now?
Mixed emotions!!!
I see that United have accepted an offer of £80m for thelittle winker. Who's ruining football now then? I suppose this will also mean that SAF will retain Tevez - you've got to laff haven't you!
CTID
Utd have just sold Renaldo to Real madrid for £80 mil,(sky sports news) which in turn means they now have the money to keep Tevez, (B*stards)
lets hope Tevez does not want to stay with them after the way he has been treated.
CTID
I never expected this....Mark Hughes to say what great people we have running the club!!.....are you struggling for stories today MUEN?.
It is about time then that Hughes started to chase the "A" listed players like what Madrid are doing (not the same players, but I mean Madrid are chasing the ones they want and getting them (Kaka & Tranny)), instead of wasting valuable club resources on garbage like RSC, Samba or Veloso.
Real Madrid are once again grateful to their feeder clubs ongoing commitment to the biggest team in the world
San Miguel anyone ?
Adios Ronaldo, Adios Ronaldo, Used to play on your wing, You can't afford a thing, Adios Ronaldo.
As for Jo and TBH, Mark forget the loans just pay them off their contracts and be done with them...or sell if we can, but who would want players of a Z calibre standard, when there are A-Y available.
I am fairly certain Tevez will now saty at united with Ronaldo going. He will get more games and they have money. Plus they will not want two bits of bad press in one week.
They are still now officially a feeder club mind!!
Meanwhile at The Swamp, 10% of the debt is about to be wiped out by the sale of Christine to Real. Only another 90% to go. Still, it's a start.
Not Posted for a long time, I would love Messi at city right now, get the sheik to get this man, the show pony is off to Real for 80million and Messi at City along with Tevez would make us a great team, also it would make a statement of intent that we are going to be the team of the future and united a team of the past ... Surely the rags now can see they are on a slippery slope with players deserting them and old ones at the end of their playing days!! Plus old Bacon Face due for retiring.
Get Messi now
Slightly off topic, but I do hope fellow blues hold on to their dignity regarding the imminent sale over at Old Trafford. I think it would be quite childish and immature to gloat on this occasion, and obvioulsy the sale of one player for such a figure will be seen by the red tops as the beginning of the end for football as we know it (we know what happened in January).
No, I think it best to keep quiet and keep one's thoughts to oneself.
Fake Ronaldo off to Madrid to join a big club!! I have attempted to post to this effect on the rag's page. Doubtless it will be pulled!