Manchester City executive chairman Garry Cook won't rule out player sales, after the well-documented on-off deals of both Vedran Corluka and Simon Ireland.

"Mark (Hughes) has seen the players that over a long period of time, well, we could probably do better," said Cook.

"Mark said he would like to bring a couple of players in for those positions but, when we went out to find these better players and then they didn't come, we were left holding the baby.

"We didn't want to sell players and have no replacements, but players must know that in the football world everybody is for sale.

"Mark's point is that we have some great talent at youth level and a bit older than that. We just need to fill that gap in the middle. We need players with Premier League experience in key positions.

"When you get to the dead of winter and people start pulling the gloves on and the tights on, it's bloody hard for them.

"Mark is saying: 'We need some people with some mettle'."