adminLONDON. — English soccer champions Manchester City have completed the signing of Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony for £28 million. Bony has agreed a four-and-a-half-year deal at the Etihad Stadium and will wear the number 14 shirt and will earn £100 000-a-week in wages. “It’s a great feeling for me, it’s a big honour to be here and it’s a great challenge,” the 26-year-old said.
Bony joined Swansea for £12m from Vitesse Arnhem in 2013 and was the English Premier League’s top scorer in 2014 with 20 goals.
The two clubs agreed the terms of the transfer at the weekend, with £25m cash up front and a further £3m in performance-related add-ons.
Bony is currently on international duty with Cote d’lvoire at the African Cup of Nations and could potentially have to wait until mid-February before he can make his City debut.
“As a player it’s always good to be part of one of the biggest clubs in the world and it’s a good opportunity for me to be in that situation now — I’m really proud,” Bony told Manchester City’s website.
“I felt excited to wait for this moment and now it’s come, it’s fantastic.”
“I think it’s a great decision for me — Manchester City are in the Champions League. It’s a motivation for me to give my maximum to be in that place.”
Bony also confirmed he had spoken to international team-mate Yaya Toure about making the move to Manchester.
“I speak with Yaya every day on international duty and I think he will help me to become a better player and a more clinical striker,” he added.
“I’ll be playing with great players here at City and this is an opportunity for me to work hard and to take my chance.”
City boss Manuel Pellegrini added: “He is an intelligent footballer who has skill and power. His goals record has been excellent since he came to England.
“He adapted very quickly to the game here and I think he will settle in at City quickly. We now have four top-class strikers and I am looking forward to seeing them work together.”
Swansea earlier criticised the Cote d’lvoire Football Federation claiming the deal had gone through before either club had announced it.
The Cote d’lvoire Football Federation said: “Bony has signed with Manchester City this Wednesday, 14 January.” But a Swansea spokesman said “the Cote d’lvoire have no right to comment”.
Bony signed a one-year extension to his Swansea contract in November and the Welsh club’s manager Gary Monk said it would take an “astronomical fee” for the club to sell him.
The sum represents double the amount of Swansea’s previous record sale — Joe Allen to Liverpool for 15 million pounds in August 2012.
Bony, the first major signing of the mid-season transfer window, boasts a combination of power, ruthless finishing and quick feet which has made him one of the most prolific and feared forwards in the Premier League.
He scored 25 goals in all competitions in his first season at the Welsh side and a further nine goals so far this season.
Bony, who has scored 11 goals in 32 international appearances, will spearhead the Cote d’lvoire’s African Cup of Nations challenge in Equatorial Guinea and might not be available for his new club until early February.
Meanwhile, Toronto FC and England striker Jermain Defoe is in talks with Sunderland about a return to the English Premier League.
No announcement is imminent but Black Cats manager Gus Poyet is keen to strengthen his attacking options.
Sunderland are 16th in the table, one point above the relegation places, and only Aston Villa have scored fewer than their 18 goals.
Defoe (32) has been training with former club Tottenham during the Major League Soccer close season.
After leaving English football last summer, he has scored 11 goals in 16 games during his debut campaign for Toronto.
He is 14th on the list of all-time Premier League goalscorers, with 124 during spells with West Ham, Spurs and Portsmouth. Sunderland have won only three of their 21 league matches this season and collected just one point from their past four games. — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter