Mark Hughes has cast Elano’s Manchester City future in further doubt by insisting that the club are in no hurry to extend his contract.
The 27-year-old playmaker is beginning to show flashes again of the form which made him such a hit when he first arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2007, but Hughes still has issues with his consistency and is said to believe that he is a disruptive influence on his fellow Brazilian, Robinho.
Elano has recently gone on record as saying that he would be keen to commit his future to the Eastlands side by putting pen-to-paper on a new deal but at the moment they look more determined to cash in on him, if anything.
“Elano has two more years left to run on his contract, so it isn’t really a priority at the moment,†Hughes explained on the club’s official website.
“There are a number of other players with less time on their contract, so they are the ones we will have to look at. Elano is not one of those players that we feel we need to look at and renegotiate terms with.
“But I have certainly been pleased with him of late and the positive impact that he has had on the team. He has been working really hard for the team and his performance levels have been good. He is having an impact and I am pleased about that. He is enjoying his football and playing in a good team at the moment.”
He added: “Last year he was new to the league and to the intensity of it. He made a big impression when he first came to the club but then struggled to make an impact on a consistent basis, which can happen.
“The games that he has played of late have highlighted the ability we all know he has. But it is about working hard and enabling the team to prosper as well as yourself. That is what is happening at the moment.”
Derek Wanner, Goal.com