Manchester City boss Mark Hughes says they must be clever to attract the big names to Eastlands.

He said: "What we've got to do is offer those players something different.

"We can't at the moment offer Champions League football and that is a big thing for top players. We're not at the level of some clubs and we accept that.

"But we can offer a different challenge, a different goal.

"We put it to them, 'if you come to Man City you'll be at the beginning of a journey that we feel will lead to something very special and successful. If you see it through to its conclusion you'll make your mark on the game'.

"Every Premier League footballer is a wealthy man, but the vast majority won't make their mark in the game.

"You get to a point where you've earned a significant amount of money but here you can make an indelible mark on the game and that counts."