Mark Hughes was defiant yesterday in the face of attacks from Alex Ferguson and Martin O'Neill and said that Manchester City did not care about the criticism their aggressive transfer policy has attracted this season.

The City manager also said his club would bid again for Joleon Lescott after a second offer of £19m was rejected.

Having also endured criticism from Phil Neville yesterday for City's sustained pursuit of Everton's Lescott, Hughes said that he had been prepared for the backlash against City. However, he said that even the reaction to spending more than £95m on six players this summer was nothing compared to the “thick skin” he had to develop last season when his future was a constant source of discussion

Hughes said: “We know that is going to happen this season and we have already talked about it between ourselves so we're ready for it. The only way we can stop people having negative things to say about us is by winning football matches.

“All the expectation will be on us, but we have come to deal with that. We had 12 months of it last year and that was when we didn't have players with the ability to get to those expectations.”

Speaking for the first time about the failure to sign John Terry from Chelsea, Hughes said: “Chelsea were very adamant in their stance and worked exceptionally hard to make JT understood his value to them.”

In a rather more tortuous explanation for his departure from Arsenal, City's new signing Kolo Toure said that it was the “love” that City showed him that persuaded him to move.

Toure said: “They've showed that they really want me and I'm really happy. I've always said that when you love a woman and she gives you the love back, you're really happy and that's what it's like with Manchester City. They've given me the love and I'm delighted to give the love back.”