MARK Hughes' main priority in the transfer window must be to strike a permanent deal for Zurab Khizanishvili because the Georgian has been a revelation since he joined the club in August.

Quite how the 23-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements at Rangers is beyond me because he hasn't put a foot wrong in the short time he's been a Blackburn Rovers player.

Once again on Saturday Zura was absolutely outstanding as Rovers romped to a magnificent 4-1 victory over Charlton Athletic.

From what I've seen of him so far, he's got all the tools you need to be a major success in the Premier League.

He's quick, he's composed on the ball and the way he times his tackles to perfection makes him the complete defender, which is why I'm gobsmacked Alex McLeish has allowed him to leave Ibrox.

I can't praise Sparky highly enough for his dealings in the transfer market since he succeeded Graeme Souness 13 months ago.

Last season, when Rovers were fighting a desperate battle against relegation, Mark pulled off a managerial masterstroke by signing Ryan Nelsen and Aaron Mokoena for a combined fee of £250,000.

Now he appears to have come up trumps again with the capture of Zura and I only hope he finds a way of making his signing permanent.

As for Saturday's performance, that was the best I've seen from Rovers at Ewood in the last two seasons.

The confidence we showed at times was bordering on intimidating and it was fantastic to see us play some truly electric stuff.

Obviously, the early goal set everything up and it was great to see Brett Emerton being so positive in the final third.

But, for me, the one man who stood head and shoulders above everyone else was Tugay, who had an absolute blinder in the middle of the park.

No-one has ever doubted Tugay's ability and when he's got great movement around him, he can pick teams off with the quality of his passing.

Kevin Gallacher was a guest in the lounge on Saturday and he was telling me how he would have loved to have played in the same side as Tugay.

He was drooling at some of the Turk's silver service and he said to feed off a player of that quality is a striker's dream.

I don't know what Mark is putting in his tea, but Tugay certainly seems to be enjoying an Indian summer and long may that continue.

In fact, the way he and Steven Reid performed together in the centre of midfield must have had Robbie Savage worried because the Welshman now faces a battle to win his place back.

But these are exactly the kind of selection dilemmas Sparky has been craving.

Last season, the team virtually picked itself, but now there's competition for places all over the park and that can only be healthy.

Zura, Ryan Nelsen and Andy Todd are competing for two places at the back, and there's a similar battle going on between Tugay, Robbie, Steven Reid and Aaron Mokoena in the engine room.

Then you've got Paul Dickov and Shefki Kuqi scrapping it out to partner Craig Bellamy in attack, and even the wide-men - Morten Gamst Pedersen, David Bentley and Brett - know that three into two won't go.

Suddenly, it would seem, Mark is spoilt for choice.