Manchester City already nicked Barry - now they want Liverpool's Top Four place... and Fernando Torres?

Not content with signing the player Rafa Benitez claimed would have won Liverpool the title last season, Manchester City now have their top four status in their sights.

According to Benitez, Liverpool would have ended their 19-year wait to win the title had he won the drawn-out saga with Aston Villa to sign Gareth Barry in the summer of 2008.

But Barry, fearful of another summer where his future remained unresolved, jumped at the chance to join the revolution at City, who now intend to compound Liverpool's misery.

Of the established top four, Liverpool's coveted Champions League status looks the most vulnerable this season, with City determined to seize their chance to establish a new order.

"Historically, Liverpool have been in the top four for many seasons now and we're trying to get there ourselves," said Hughes ahead of City's lunchtime trip to Anfield today.

"We need to be taking points off the teams in and around us to achieve that, and if we can do it at places like Liverpool, then it will only help our own ambitions.

"We're in great shape, the squad is fit and healthy, and we're going to Anfield in a good frame of mind.

"Liverpool have the confidence of knowing they have the ability and history of completing Premier League seasons and getting into the top four.

"They have that knowledge and understanding, which gives them a level of confidence as a consequence of that.

"Liverpool are expected to be successful. That expectation has been there for decades and they live with that on a daily basis.

"But if you can get a foothold on the game at Anfield, you can sense a bit of anxiety in the team that filters through to the crowd.

"So it's about us being positive, going there with confidence and knowing what we need to do to get that positive result." 

The capture of Barry proved a significant statement of intent in terms of City's stated ambition of becoming a major Premier League force and breaking the top four's stranglehold.

It is no secret Fernando Torres is the player Hughes covets most, amid a growing belief the City boss has the go-ahead to launch an audacious £75million bid for him next summer.

The notion of Torres swapping Anfield for Eastlands may seem fanciful, but if City can finish in the top four at the expense of Liverpool, fantasy may give way to reality.

Liverpool, heavily in debt, could be forced into selling the prized assets to raise funds to make up the shortfall in revenue were they to fail to make the Champions League.

Their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage of this season's Champions League look slim, while their patchy league form has left them trailing leaders Chelsea by 11 points.

And having made determined attempts to sign England captain John Terry and Brazil star Kaka, City have no inferiority complex when it comes to going for elite players.

And having already snatched long-term target Barry from under Liverpool's noses, City have the financial muscle and ambition to make a concerted effort to sign Torres.

Hughes was coy when he was asked whether it was inconceivable he would launch a bid for Torres next summer, having already made tentative enquires about the striker last summer.

"We don't discuss players at other clubs because that would be wrong to do," said Hughes with a wry smile, before revealing his admiration for the Spain forward.

"Torres is an outstanding striker. The way he's been able to come into the Premier League and make the impact he has says everything.

"I've said time and time again that it's more difficult for foreign strikers to have an immediate impact in the Premier League because it's just so new to them.

"The style of the football and the strength of the marking is different from most leagues in Europe and the world.

"So for him to come him and have the immediate impact he has is of great credit to him and the way he approaches the game." 

Benitez said this week that he would quit if Liverpool's owners decided to cash in on Torres, even for a world record fee of £100m.

"You can see why he's saying that," said Hughes. "He's probably saying that about all the key members of his squad.

"If you asked him that question about Steven Gerrard, he'd probably have the same answer for you.

"You don't want to be told that you have to sell your top players because of issues other than football.

"It has to be the manager's decision when you sell players so that's the point he was making, I'd suggest."  

As if to prove City now have the profile to attract players like Torres, Hughes claimed City have shown they are serious about becoming a major Premier League and European force.

"There were a lot of questions over City, initially over whether we could attract top players, which we've done," said Hughes.

"There were questions over whether we could gel as a team and I think we've shown we've done that.

"There will be more questions we have to answer as the season progresses but it's about making sure we have the answers. So far we've had most of the answers but not all.

After five straight draws in the Premier League, Hughes admitted City need a win to re-assert themselves as a club able to last the course of the campaign and stay in the top four.

"I suppose a draw at Liverpool, is a positive result," said Hughes. "But we want to break this run of draws because it's held us back.

"The sooner we break this cycle, the better from our point of view and there's nowhere better than Anfield to do that.