Mark Hughes talks of transfers

While Manchester City have made a mess of the bargaining process this transfer season, Mark Hughes addressed the transfer situation on the club web-site:

“There is a bit of a dance going on. You have to go through a process where bids are put in, bids are rejected then you go back to the table.

“People are impatient, and I would be the worlds worst in that respect! You have to understand how the process works, and patience really is a virtue. Maybe we should make sure we have more of it, and make sure in the end that we get good players through the door.

“Our strategy in this transfer window is to bring in good players if we can, if we are not able to we look to the next one. But, there is a real determination to get good players in.

“We have to accept that the focus on our dealings seems to be more acute. People want to know what we are doing on a daily basis, so it’s difficult to go about our business quite quietly. Every day is being commented upon so that makes it a little bit more difficult for us.

“We have said all along that we will not be held to ransom, and that still stands true but there is a real desire from all levels to get the right players in.

“We have values on players, and selling clubs, if they are selling, have their values as well. Invariably the players we go after are the better players at clubs, who don’t want to sell them. We accept that and negotiate and hope that we reach a level where they will allow the player to go.”

However the point needs to be clear, the Citizens have done a miserable job in the transfer market and through simple mismanagement have painted themselves into a corner where they have to bid up the price of talent.