Hughes prepares to splash the cash

Mark Hughes will fly to Abu Dhabi next month to meet Manchester City's new owners and outline his transfer plans for January.

Hughes is to take advantage of a break in the fixtures in November to jet out to the Middle East to reveal the players he would like to bring to Eastlands in the New Year - with Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz and Werder Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings reported to be high on his list.

City have been one of the most attractive sides to watch going forward this season but Hughes is concerned at the 'frailties' and shortcomings of his squad that have been exposed in recent weeks, most notably by Liverpool last weekend as City threw away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2.

City's new owners have already splashed out a British record £32.5m transfer fee on Brazilian star Robinho but have made it clear they are prepared to spend big to achieve their ultimate dream of winning the Champions League.

Hughes said: "In the November break, there will be a chance to go over and put our plans and needs to the Abu Dhabi group. We hope we will be able to spend in January.

"We will get better, but we are still a team with obvious frailties and we will work to address them when the transfer window opens again.

"What we need to have is that consistent level of performance and that resoluteness to be able to see games out and take something positive from every game we play. At the moment we are struggling on that point, but we are a young team in terms of experience and development."