time to play tough negotiating

I've noted it on a number of occasions but City has made a mess of negotiating. They've "played their cards" and every club expects them to pay a premium. While Man City has stated that they won't chase prices, they need to make sure it is known through action. This is an uncomfortable position for many and I will keep the majority of my comments outside of a Football blog, this is a business, pure and simple.

While Mark Hughes is desperate to sign Roque Santa Cruz, let the bid die as it already has went above market and there will be better options in the summer when the deepening hole of the financial markets makes many more receptive to sales. Again I will keep that brief but as a number of club grapple with financial misfortune, coupled with unyielding positions of financiers, opportunities will present themselves.

Per the present transfer situation, Mark Hughes commented via the clubs official web-site:

"Yesterday afternoon we put an improved bid in for Roque Santa Cruz that was rejected.”

“We have to make a decision on that and the window is open until the second so we’ve got time if we decide to do that.

“The situation with Newcastle is that obviously we’ve put in a bid for Shay Given and we haven’t had an update on that.

"I’ve said I’m looking to bring in an experienced keeper and he ticks the box in that respect. Whether or not the deal happens we’ll have to wait and see.

"Apart from that, that’s where we are. We’re linked with lots of players and until we make bids then I won’t discuss any other speculation.

"There may be opportunities to get players out on loan. We’re just trying to finalise the players that we are going to acquire.

"I’ve always said I prefer to get the players in first before we let anyone out because I don’t want to weaken the team before we can strengthen. That’s been my attitude to the window.

"I’m sure there’ll be interest in the players, there’s been tentative interest in a number of the players, really just loan situations rather than purchases.

"We’ll look at every individual case and the clubs involved. If those situations involve younger players then we look at the value of the interest from the clubs involved and whether or not the player himself will get the amount of games that we feel a loan deal has to benefit the player.

"There’s no point sending young players out if they are going to sit on the bench. We’d rather they stay around this environment, get the good work here and sit on my bench to be perfectly honest.

"Well you plan for the window; it’s there in the football calendar and you negotiate the window as well as you can.

"Right up to the last minute of the last day deals can be struck and I’ve done deals in the last minute and deals that have been really good ones in the long term at my previous club.

"You are always open to a situation and you look at it and if you think it will benefit the team and the Club, even if it’s the last minute of the window, then you have to pursue it.

"Maybe given the deals that we’ve been able to do, which I’m very happy with, I think everybody’s seen the benefit of the new players that we’ve acquired and the impact they’ve had already.

"We’re pleased with the window as we stand and obviously we’ve got a couple of irons in the fire that we hope will be positive for us before the window closes. We are always open to opportunities that present themselves."