Manchester City are in talks with Swansea over a potential A?30m move for striker Wilfried Bony.
The player was chased by Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham in the summer and Brendan Rodgers’ side was in fact, close to a A?20m move. However, the deal failed to materialize and Swansea were able to keep hold of their star striker.
Not for long it seems. Title challengers Manchester City have begun talks with Swansea over a move for Bony, according to Sky Sports (who are usually reliable when it comes to transfers). They write: A deal for the Ivory Coast striker is yet to be agreed but reports suggest the two sides are not far apart on their valuation of the 26-year-old.
Bony signed a new contract in November, which removed the A?19m release clause in his initial deal, and City and Chelsea both had him watched in Swansea’s recent clash with Liverpool. Real Madrid were also reported to be interested in the player’s services.
Bony joined Swansea in 2013 for a club-record A?12m from Vitesse Arnhem in 2013. That season (12/13), the striker scored 31 goals in 30 league and was awarded the Golden Shoe for the best player in the Netherlands He was Premier League’s top scorer in the calendar year of 2014 with 20 goals.
City boss Manuel Pellegrini recently played down his interest in the player, when questioned, because of the club’s transfer restrictions under UEFA’s Financial Fair Play protocols, and the limit on non home-grown players.
Swansea manager Garry Monk has said it will take an “astronomical” fee to secure Bony in the January transfer window. For 30 million, Swansea would be happy to part ways with the striker who is due to travel to the Middle East on Wednesday for a training camp with his country ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Sky Blues were without injured strikers Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko for the festive period and manager Manuel Pellegrini obviously wants to ensure that his side can add a proven Premier League goalscorer to ensure they compete with Chelsea for the title and don’t fall out of the run because of the lack of a striker.
The Swans would have to have to target a striker in this window to ensure they have an able replacement for Bony and with A?30m, they would be able to find one. Bafetimbi Gomis was thought to be capable enough to fill Bony’s boots at Swansea but in France, sports paper L’Equipe claim that the ex Lyon striker wants to leave the club.
