Various reports are suggesting Manchester City are close to completing a £30M deal to sign Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony, and while there surprise with the majority of people learning the news, the deal does make a small amount of sense.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini is taking a big risk on the striker, but has clearly figured the pros have outweighed the cons. But have they?
Pros
Goals. Wilfried Bony seems to score a lot of them wherever he goes, and such marksmanship could see him decide a lot of games in the second-half of the season. He scored 33 goals in 79 for AC Sparta, 58 in 77 for Vitesse, 35 in 70 for Swansea, and 11 in 30 for the Ivory Coast.
Proven Premier League talent. The 26-year-old has shone in his second season in England even more than his first, proving that he’s not a flash in the pan. Bony is regularly singled out for praise, and provides more than just goals, creating 20 chances in the league.
Can perform against stellar opponents. Bony scored three goals in two meetings against Manchester City for the Swans that certainly got Pellegrini’s attention. Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal have also been unable to keep him out.
Cons
Price tag. The Swansea striker will set City back £30M, which is a big risk for a player who has never played for an elite club. If the deal goes through, he will have cost more than Yaya Toure (£27M), Carlos Tevez (£26M), David Silva (£25M), Samir Nasri (£24M), Steven Jovetic (£23M) and Alvaro Negredo (£22M). Is he really at their level just yet? Could that money be better spent?
Competition. Manchester City have Sergio Aguero, who is being regarded as the best centre-forward in the world, as their first-choice, with Edin Dzeko (162 goals in 344 games) and Steven Jovetic (64 goals in 202 games) as the cover. Bony has little chance of starting, and it’s unlikely he will force his way ahead of super-sub Dzeko when fit either, with the Bosnia-Herzegovina international netting 26 goals in 48 games in all competitions last season.
Pressure. It’s always easier to be the big fish in a little pond than it is to be the small fish in a big pond, and that’ something Wilfried Bony may find out early into his City career if he does complete the move this move.
The Ivorian was given the confidence to express himself, while he’ll be expected to cater to the qualities of the City squad, bringing a completely different challenge on the pitch. It could well see him struggling to get off the mark.
