According to BBC Wales Sport, after days of speculation, Swansea City have agreed a deal with Manchester City to sell Wilfried Bony to the champions for a fee of around £30 million, which was The Swans’ asking price.
Since the original link a few days ago, there have been reports that City and Swansea have been close to agreeing a deal for some time now, with the price being haggled over, with City reluctant to pay £30 million for the Ivorian. It seems though that The Blues have given in and will pay the full asking price to Swansea.
Whether City were in pole position for Wilfried Bony was cast into some doubt over Friday and Saturday after reports emerged that Chelsea were ready to swoop in and steal Bony away from the grasp of the champions. Those reports perhaps convinced City to stop haggling and pay the asking price, instead of facing the risk of not getting the Ivorian.
If this new report from BBC Wales Sport turns out to be true, and the transfer does go through, Bony will be unable to play for City until next month, with the striker being at the African Cup of Nations with Yaya Toure. Their first match isn’t until January 20th, but the final is on the 8th of February. Obviously, if Ivory Coast go out before that, he’ll be free to return earlier to his club – whether that club is in Manchester or Swansea remains to be decided.
—
UPDATE
Sky Sports News also believe that City and Swansea have agreed a fee for Bony, providing further evidence that the Ivorian could be on his way. Bryan Swanson believes the fee is £25 million, but could rise with add-ons, and the player will have a medical in Abu Dhabi.
The Times report that the fee could rise from £25 million to £28 million, depending on how City perform in the coming seasons. In order for Swansea to receive the final £3 million, City must win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the next four years, and Bony must play at least 60% of the games in those competitions. If those conditions are met, The Swans get the full £28 million.
