London - As England's "big four" team jockey for the biggest signings in the off-season, they would do well to keep an eye out for the new kid on the block - Manchester City. Backed by the oil millions of the Abu Dhabi United Group, Mark Hughes's side have the financial power to outbid their rivals and they are beginning to look like a good team.
A 100 million-pound (160 million-dollar) bid for Kaka did not pay off, but they have already added striker Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers and England midfielder Gareth Barry from Aston Villa.
High-profile bids for Carlos Tevez, Samuel Eto'o and John Terry may not pay off, but there is no question that their financial muscle is pushing some of the big teams out of the bidding.
The new arrivals will boost an already talented side that includes the likes of Brazilians Robinho and Elano, Stephen Ireland, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Shay Given.
"It's good to be manager of a club with money available for new players but how you spend it is what matters," Hughes said at the start of the summer.
"The view in the football world is that we have money to throw at things. We have resources but we have budgetary constraints as well."
Hughes said he was hoping for big things from Santa Cruz, whom he worked with when he was manager at Blackburn.
"His ability in the air and his physical presence are qualities we have been missing, but he also has technical ability and good pace for a big man.
"He's a very good player and one I know well."
The power of City's financial muscle has annoyed some clubs, who feel that agents are saying to them that City are interested just to push the price up.
"City have blown us out of the water. The wages they offer have gone sky high," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said.
"Regarding two of the players we were strong on, in the end we could not compete with Manchester City. They are working on another level with the wages they can offer.
"There is no doubt City are making it very difficult for the rest."
But their improving squad could yet be a threat to the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal as with more than a month and a half to go before the transfer window closes, they are likely to add a few more big players.
"Manchester City are putting together a strong team with good signings," Liverpool striker Fernando Torres said.
"We will have to wait and see which players they bring in. I'm sure that Manchester United and Chelsea will be our main rivals but you can't leave Arsenal or Manchester City out of the equation."
