Mark Hughes defends Manchester City's spending on agents

Mark Hughes has defended Manchester City's spending on agents over the past 12 months. Agents have tended to be viewed as a necessary evil, especially with players like Carlos Tevez, whose third-party ownership by Kia Joorabchian caused so much controversy following his arrival in England. It is still not exactly clear how much City paid Joorabchian to gain the player's registration but there is no doubt the deal would not have been possible without Joorabchian's involvement.

Hughes is taking action to ensure City do not rely on the use of agents quite as much. Part of his root-and-branch reform of the club included a complete revamp of the scouting department which, eventually, he expects to pay significant dividends.