With the January transfer window upon us once more, there are sure to be some exciting deals going through by the time the window slams shut at the end of the month. As with most transfer windows, they tend to start quite slowly then speed up as the deadline approaches. However, there is one deal that has already grabbed the headlines this year, with Swansea seemingly ready to offload their top scorer Wilfried Bony.
The 26 year old Ivory Coast international has been in sparkling form this Premier League season and has already grabbed an impressive nine goals to add to the sixteen he fired in last season for the Swans. So it is little wonder the top clubs in Europe are taking notice.
A done deal?
Last week it seemed like Manchester City had already won the race for Bony’s signature with reports of a £30 million deal only days away from being confirmed. It now seems that the current league leaders Chelsea are set to hijack the move and tempt him to Stamford Bridge.
A move to the Etihad could potentially set up a mouth watering strike force. The strength and height of Bony teamed with City’s top scorer Sergio Aguero could well be the perfect foil for the Argentinean striker to feed upon. Bony would certainly give Manchester City some much needed options up front, as they have been struggling in that department since Aguero picked up his injury a month ago.
Many pundits are already suggesting that the signing of Bony, who Swansea paid £12 million for from Dutch side Vitesse in 2013, could prove to be the final piece of the jigsaw for City to maintain their reign as champions. The hierarchy at City could be restored with Bony being the perfect replacement for Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko who this week has been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Stoke City. If this does come to fruition, Waterhouse betting and the like will have to re-assess their odds.
Where would Bony fit in Mourinho’s side?
Should Chelsea come out on top of this transfer tug of war, it is more difficult to see where Bony would fit in. Since the arrival of Spanish international Diego Costa last summer, goals certainly have not been a problem for the hit man who currently sits as the Premier League’s leading marksman with 15 goals so far. So it may seem unlikely that Bony would be first choice overnight, bearing in mind that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has spent the whole season playing with a lone striker. Therefore a move to London would mean Bony may well have to settle for a place on the bench.
With Chelsea legend Didier Drogba nearing the end of his career many would point to Bony as being the perfect replacement for his fellow countryman, and with many of the same attributes this seems perfectly plausible. However, Drogba has been limited to the number of starts he has made this season, so it remains to be seen if Bony, who has been a regular starter since arriving at Swansea, would be willing to play more of a bit part role.
It will be fascinating to see where the 6ft Ivory Coast international ends up and will mark a fantastic piece of business for Swansea City. The club are set to make around £18 million profit on the forward when a deal goes through. This demonstrates just how important both Manchester City and Chelsea, value the capture of the player who scored the most Premier League goals in 2014. It remains to be seen whether this transfer will make a big difference to the race for the title!