Hughes blasts City critics

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AC Milan have indicated City would be willing to pay £108 million as a transfer fee for the 26-year-old, with a massive weekly wage, estimated in some quarters to be £500,000.

But Hughes, while not exactly claiming such figures were wide of the mark, defended City's position, telling the Manchester Evening News: "I have been a little disappointed about some of the reactions to the prospect of a fantastic player coming to City."

He added: "There are some elements of the media who are talking about a deal and how much Kaka is going to earn when those things are a long way from being talked about.

"It is being said that the player is going to get a level of wealth that some people are saying is obscene when the club are not even having those talks yet.

"People are going to have to bide their time and realise it is not a deal that is going to happen in 24 hours.

"We are very much together on the fact that we want to bring one of the top players in the world to City.

"That is the motivation behind this whole situation. The owners understand it will take a long time to get where we want to and are more prudent than perhaps is being portrayed."

City are likely to meet Kaka's influential father Bosco Leite at some point in the next 24 hours before further discussions with Milan vice president Adriano Galliani.

It is thought Milan will do a deal at the price City have stipulated as it would allow them to wipe away a vast part of their current debt.