Dunne on City exit

"They signed the players and that was it. I wasn't given the opportunity to stay and fight for my place. That's what was annoying.

"I was told I had to go and that's the frustrating part about it.

"They told me they had accepted an offer so I said 'OK, but what if I want to stay and fight for my place?'

"They said 'it's funny, we need the money'.

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An interesting angle as it suggests that Dunne would have been willing to stay and fight for his place, something that Hughes deemed would be unfair out of respect for the service he gave to the club.

Does it hint at something more, and that Hughes was keen to break ties with the past to continue shaping the side in his own image? It would be surprising given how keen Hughes was to keep him at the club the summer of 2008, and re-named him as captain since he became manager.

I feel that Hughes saw Lescott as an upgrade over Dunne and once he was added, Dunne, mainly because of the lack of rotation there is in the central defensive area in comparison to other areas of the side, largely became indispensable.