Wilfred Bony - possible January Signing

[steelsnail]

On the bbc site just now . 30m done deal.

Now on ssn as well .

[Cocacolajojo1]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30767719

Wilfried Bony: Swansea agree £30m deal with Man City

Swansea City have agreed a fee in the region of £30m to sell striker Wilfried Bony to Premier League champions Manchester City.

Swansea manager Garry Monk previously said it would take an "astronomical" fee to prise the Ivory Coast striker, 26, away from the Liberty Stadium.

He was the Premier League's top scorer in the calendar year of 2014 with 20 goals.

Bony joined Swansea for a club-record £12m from Vitesse Arnhem in 2013.

The fee breaks the Welsh club record sale of £15m that Liverpool paid Swansea for midfielder Joe Allen in August 2012.

Bony, who scored an injury-time equaliser for Swansea against QPR on New Year's Day, is on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ivory Coast for at least the next three weeks.

But the player's agent Francis Kacou said last Wednesday that the deal should be completed soon.
Wilfried Bony

Wilfried Bony scored the opening goal for Swansea in their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in November

Man City were without injured strikers Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko for the festive period and manager Manuel Pellegrini is keen to add further depth to his squad.

The Chilean, 61, had indicated he was not looking to do serious business in the January transfer window.

The club were hit with Uefa sanctions last year for breaching financial fair play rules which included a spending cap of £49m, plus any money raised from transfer fees.

They spent around £48m in the summer on Eliaquim Mangala, midfielder Fernando, and goalkeeper Willy Caballero, although sold Jack Rodwell to Sunderland for a reported £10m and midfielder Javi Garcia joined Zenit St Petersburg for £13m.

But with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham reported to be interested in Bony, it is the Premier League champions who have moved quickest to bolster their attacking options.

[Ted Hughes]

Well spotted chaps.

With him, plus Kelechi Iheanacho (once finally sorted, free of injury), we have a serious set of striking options for the run in.

Trick is not to get too far behind Chelsea whilst Yaya is away. Then the final phase could be very interesting.

[blues2win]

City saying 25 million rising to 28 million with add ons. BBC and Sky behind the Dutch websites I mentioned last night.

[CTID Hants]

Well spotted chaps.

With him, plus Kelechi Iheanacho (once finally sorted, free of injury), we have a serious set of striking options for the run in.

Trick is not to get too far behind Chelsea whilst Yaya is away. Then the final phase could be very interesting.

Ted, I thought it was just visa that we were waiting on?? What injury?

[Ted Hughes]

Well spotted chaps.

With him, plus Kelechi Iheanacho (once finally sorted, free of injury), we have a serious set of striking options for the run in.

Trick is not to get too far behind Chelsea whilst Yaya is away. Then the final phase could be very interesting.

Ted, I thought it was just visa that we were waiting on?? What injury?

Kelechi was injured several weeks ago. Out for about 6 weeks in total.

Was called up for Nigeria U20s training camp as well though, so I suppose he may be off there when fit, if we don't intend to play him.

[South Stand Balti]

City saying 25 million rising to 28 million with add ons. BBC and Sky behind the Dutch websites I mentioned last night.

I'm very happy with this signing and it looks like the Negrado money will pretty much cover it. He would have been very useful in the first half yesterday.

[freshie]

City saying 25 million rising to 28 million with add ons. BBC and Sky behind the Dutch websites I mentioned last night.

I'm very happy with this signing and it looks like the Negrado money will pretty much cover it. He would have been very useful in the first half yesterday.

I'd like to think that Bony would have scored from at least one of the hatful of chances missed in the first half

[Green & Blue]

Welcome to City Wilfred Bow Knees.25 million sounds a bit better, for someone who just scored the most goals in a calendar year some might say its great value for money.

[blues2win]

He's great at holding up the ball and bringing people in, an excellent finisher and he presses really well off the ball which Pellegrini's system requires. I can see him developing a really good partnership with Aguero when Pellegrini plays two up top although he'll drop to the bench when we play Aguero up front on his own. Even then he'll offer an excellent option to change things up in a game. Bony's signing places a big question mark against the future of Jovetic but potentially that of Dzeko as well in the summer.

[South Stand Balti]

He's great at holding up the ball and bringing people in, an excellent finisher and he presses really well off the ball which Pellegrini's system requires. I can see him developing a really good partnership with Aguero when Pellegrini plays two up top although he'll drop to the bench when we play Aguero up front on his own. Even then he'll offer an excellent option to change things up in a game. Bony's signing places a big question mark against the future of Jovetic but potentially that of Dzeko as well in the summer.

I think Bony will be second in the pecking order with Edin third. Jovetic will be leaving, possibly even in Jan. I'm sure the hierarchy have long since lost patience with his phantom injuries, despite his obvious talent. The problem is his wages as the Italian clubs linked with him will not match his salary at City. He could take some shifting unless we take s hit on the transfer fee.im really looking forward to seeing Bony in our line up.

[Sister of fu]

Can he play in the champions league and if so does that mean someone else needs omitting? I know who I would omit.

[blues2win]

He can join the list but it would be a case of one foreign import in and one out. Plenty of possibilities but none would be happy to accommodate him obviously, including say Willy.

[sheblue]

Why is it assumed that with bony in Jovetic will be shipped out? Jojo has been totally over hyped by fans but still can't see him being sold, he has been doing well recently.

[PrezIke]

“We will take that decision in February, three or four days before we start the Champions League again so at that moment we will see which player will be out of the squad.”

sounds like pellegrini wants competition for the last champions league spot.

seems likely it will be between dzeko and jovetic.

[PrezIke]

we really could have used him yesterday.

[twosips]

“We will take that decision in February, three or four days before we start the Champions League again so at that moment we will see which player will be out of the squad.”

sounds like pellegrini wants competition for the last champions league spot.

seems likely it will be between dzeko and jovetic.

If it does come to that then it's Dzeko that takes the spot. He's been on saviour on many, many occasions since he signed and for all his flaws he's proven himself. Jovetic hasn't.

[South Stand Balti]

Why is it assumed that with bony in Jovetic will be shipped out? Jojo has been totally over hyped by fans but still can't see him being sold, he has been doing well recently.

I agree he has done well in some games and I think he is a real quality player. However, he continues to have niggling injuries. I think there is a feeling some of these may be in his head. He has a few weeks in and a few weeks out. When Sergio and Edin were injured he immediately claimed to have a niggling injury when he had the chance to stand up and be counted. I don't doubt his talent but I don't think he had the courage to be counted on.

[s1ty m]

I'd be happy to see Jovetic go. A hugely disappointing signing and a player I just cannot appreciate. His pathetic shooting is the worst of his many weaknesses. I watched him during the warm up at The Etihad a few weeks ago and he can't even strike a decent shot in that situation. Nasri and Kun, I think it was, were caning it with little or no effort. He was noticeably weaker.

[Ted Hughes]

I can take various criticisms of Jovetic, but not the idea that Samir Nasri is better at shooting than him.

And if he was, how would we know, seeing as Nasri only actually tries to shoot once a month ?