Hughes delighted by coup that returns Wright-Phillips to Man City

Shaun Wright-Phillips returned to Manchester City on Thursday in a £10million move from Chelsea that rewarded manager Mark Hughes for his patient pursuit of the England winger.

Hughes set his sights on the former City hero as soon as he took over this summer in the hope of persuading him ‘home’ after his failure to secure a regular place in Chelsea’s starting line-up.

Wright-Phillips was caught in a tug-of-war between City and Chelsea for his services three years ago before his £21m move but, as Sportsmail revealed on Thursday, he has signed a lucrative four-year deal to give Hughes’ side a right-winger whose crosses will feed £19m Brazil striker Jo.

Hughes said: ‘I’ve always admired Shaun and to bring him back home is a fantastic coup for us. I’m sure the supporters will be just as excited as we are.’

Wright-Phillips, who started only 43 games for Chelsea and was clearly not in new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari’s plans, said: ‘Obviously I’m delighted to come back to City and I just can’t wait to get started again.’

He also attracted interest from Portsmouth, Everton and Liverpool but opted for the club where he spent seven years to become Hughes’ fourth signing after Jo, defender Tal Ben Haim and midfielder Vincent Kompany.

Wright-Phillips’ arrival, despite behind-the-scenes upheaval over the club’s financial future, could soon be followed by the signing of attacking midfielder Thiago Neves of Fluminense and the £8m-rated Espanyol right back Pablo Zabaleta.

Meanwhile, Joe Cole has insisted he does not fear for his Chelsea place, despite the imminent arrival of Robinho from Real Madrid. Cole said: ‘I’ve been here five years now and I’ve always played even after we’ve brought in world-class players for £20m or £30m.

Ready to battle: Cole is not worried about having to fight for his place

‘I’ve always accepted the challenge. This will just be another great challenge. The main thing is Chelsea win the league this season, that’s the priority for the club.’

Cole, 26, was Chelsea’s best player during the first half of last season but rumours surfaced that he did not figure in Scolari’s plans when he was asked to wait until next summer before continuing talks about extending a deal which has two years to run.

An ankle injury delayed his pre-season work and his chance to impress Scolari but he started the season in the team and scored the first goal of Chelsea’s Barclays  Premier League campaign against Portsmouth.

Cole said: ‘I love Chelsea, I’m here, I’ve got a contract and I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. The club want me to stay, I’ve started the season well and I’ve still got my place with England.’

He added: ‘The Premier League is the bread and butter, the mark of a club and who you are. The best team wins over the course of a season and we want to be that team this year.’