The billionaire who fronted the Manchester City takeover
says he would like to see Mark Hughes target higher profile
players.
Hughes has come under pressure as the club has fallen to
just one point clear of the relegation zone, but he is widely
expected to attempt to bolster his squad with the likes of Roque
Santa Cruz, Wayne Bridge and Lassana Diarra in January.
But Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim – part of the Abu Dhabi United Group
but marginalised after his widely publicised comments about trying
to sign the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo – believes the club should
aim higher.
Speaking of Hughes’ transfer plans, he said in The Guardian: “My
vision is rather different.
“I decided to choose a club where there was a possibility of
getting big names.
“I knew what was in my imagination. I put my vision forward, but
it is the role of the manager and the chairman to take it forward
now.
“I was only asked to find the opportunity and close the deal
rather than go into the detail.”
He added: “Only if I was approached by Hughes would I have the
chance to put my ideas across.”
Hughes, however, has received the backing of owner Sheikh
Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and intends to press ahead with his
plans in January.
“Player acquisition is not an exact science, but we have a list
of targets,” he said.
“We have done our homework and we hope everything will go
through.
“Even the best laid plans can have last-minute hitches that
compromise the deal and sometimes they don’t happen, but we will
make sure we do everything in our power to bring in the players
that I know will help us.”