Hughes: Geovanni exit out of my hands

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes has admitted he was powerless to stop Geovanni joining Hull.

While Hughes' squad now has a trio of Brazilians following the arrival of striking duo Robinho and Jo this summer, the loss of Geovanni has caused a few grumblings at Eastlands.

"The Geovanni situation had been resolved before I came to the club," said the Blues chief. "I did not have an opportunity to work with him or speak to him."

He added: "He obviously made a decision to go to Hull and it has worked for him. He has made a big impact and shown real quality.

"The key thing is being able to play every week. That is what wasn't on offer here.

"Players benefit from that and he certainly has."