GIVE ROB THE BOOT

THE best transfer business Mark Hughes will do this summer won't be landing Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez or even Samuel Eto'o - but selling Robinho.

Sparky's bottomless oil-well of Arab cash means he is the envy of every manager, even new Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti.

But if, come November, Manchester City still look like a work in progress not the finished article, Hughes will get the bullet.

No wonder he wants to complete most of his summer spending long before City report back for training.

Snatching Barry from Liverpool's grasp last week was a good start.

And Hughes seems to have won a power battle with City's chief executive Gary Cook.

Instead of chasing galacticos, Hughes wants to build a team with the guts to cope with Wigan away on a wet November night as well as the class to take on Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

That is why, unlike marketing man Cook, Hughes sees Barry as a better bet than Kaka at this stage.

The arrival of Barry, like the signings of Wayne Bridge and Shay Given last season, has done nothing for Cook's hopes of a roaring trade in replica shirts in the Far East. But they are the sort of players Hughes needs.

Robinho, gifted as he is, is the sort who could get Hughes the sack.

The speed City's new owners hijacked Robinho's move to Chelsea on transfer deadline day suggested they didn't waste much time consulting the manager about whether he wanted an erratic Brazilian with a questionable work ethic.

The fact Chelsea skipper John Terry was top of Hughes' wish list shows the sort of qualities he was looking for.

Robinho has constantly undermined Hughes' authority, right down to flying back to Rio at the first hint of a beach party. Hughes can no longer afford to let Robinho ride roughshod over his regime.

City won't become a major force just by signing artisans. They also need flair.

But the flair players must also be prepared to roll their sleeves up.

Tevez and Eto'o fit the bill perfectly. Robinho, as we all saw last season, doesn't.

Hughes must lay down a marker and ship him out.

Chelsea are still rumoured to be interested.

Hughes would really hit the jackpot if he managed to pass the problem of dealing with Robinho to Ancelotti.

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