Mark Hughes admits Richard Dunne could attract more attention following the arrival of Joleon Lescott.
Man City boss hails Lescott and Sylvinho
Mark Hughes has welcomed Joleon Lescott and Sylvinho to Manchester City and admitted Richard Dunne could now attract more interest.
City finally completed the signing of Lescott from Everton on Tuesday night after a long-running transfer saga, with Sylvinho also arriving this week to strengthen Hughes' defence.
Hughes expressed his delight at securing the pair as they were officially presented to the media, describing Lescott as the finest centre-back in the league.
"We are delighted to welcome Sylvinho and Joleon to the club. They are very hungry to have success," Hughes said on
Sky Sports News.
"Joleon is arguably the best centre-half in the Premier League and can be potentially for many years."
City have been criticised for the way they pursued Lescott but Hughes has defended his actions and revealed why he was so determined to bring in the England international.
"The process is different for every transfer but Joleon is here now and we are looking forward to many years together," he commented.
Something special
"I am happy with how the club has dealt with the process of bringing Joleon to the club and we are now looking positively to the future.
"We all feel at the club we are at the beginning of something very special and that is why we are able to attract players here."
Lescott's arrival has fuelled speculation about the future of Dunne but Hughes insists the City captain could still stay with the club.
"There is bound to be speculation but what we are trying to do is make the squad stronger," said Hughes.
"No doubt we will get calls in relation to Richard or other centre-backs, because people will surmise that now Joleon is here others may leave.
"That is not necessarily the case. It can be down to the individual or down to circumstances, but my remit is to make the club stronger.
"As we stand today Richard Dunne is the captain."
Hughes has refused to rule out making more signings before next week's transfer deadline but maintains that he is now happy with his squad.
Great players
City have been tipped to challenge the top four clubs in the Premier League this season and Hughes believes his players are ready to compete.
Asked whether his summer spending had finished, Hughes replied: "You never know. As you get towards the end of the window there are sometimes things that present themselves that may work for the club and you need to work on.
"But the process we have gone through is one that has taken a long time. It basically started last December when I went to the board and said these are the players we need to progress.
"We have done in two windows what normally takes a lot longer but we were in a position to do that quickly.
"The quality of players we have been able to bring to the club is great, not only in terms of ability but mentality as well.
"We feel we are in a better place and there is an expectation of what we can achieve which we are comfortable with because I know we have a group of players which is able to compete at the top end of the Premier League."
