Wilfried Bony to Manchester City: Swansea want to recoup £30m for Ivorian striker
The move calls into question the wisdom of allowing Alvaro Negredo out on loan to Valencia last summer
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Your support makes all the difference.Negotiations to bring Wilfried Bony to Manchester City from Swansea City are continuing, with a difference in valuation unlikely to prove a stumbling block.
The Welsh side had been unwilling to countenance selling their star player and £14m record signing for less than £30m and, though City’s valuation seems to be nearer £27m, some creative negotiating could overcome the shortfall, including easily achieved add-ons.
City are severely constrained by the spending limitations imposed on them for failing Uefa’s Financial Fair Play system last year. They are not permitted to increase their overall squad wage bill through acquisitions in this transfer window and last summer. It is understood that has meant that Bony has been offered a sum of only £60,000 a week to move.
Such a proposal would usually be a deal-breaker, but it is thought that the creative use of bonuses may help City over the obstacle. City’s explanation of their situation to the Ivorian is thought to have been convincing, despite the fact that his compatriot Yaya Touré is commanding a salary of around £244,000 a week.
City’s need for a £27m new striker – after manager Manuel Pellegrini saw Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic all sidelined by injury last month – calls into question the wisdom of allowing Alvaro Negredo out on loan to Valencia last summer.
There was internal discussion about that decision, with Pellegrini’s tendency to use a loan striker a key consideration in his own willingness to sanction Negredo’s departure. But Pellegrini has used a 4-4-2 system for much of this season.
Negredo could yet prove key to the Bony deal happening. City may be able to demonstrate to Uefa that Negredo’s £25m permanent move to Valencia – scheduled for next summer – is guaranteed income. That would allow them to allocate the transfer fee to the £49m net spending limit imposed on them.
City have already spent a net sum of £38.8m on last summer’s buys, including Eliaquim Mangala, even taking into account the sales of Javier Garcia and Jack Rodwell. Mangala’s transfer fee has repeatedly been reported as £32m but, in fact, was closer to £40m to three third-party owners combined.
City’s attempts to ship players out to pay for Bony continued today. Schalke 04 are favourites to sign Matija Nastasic for £10m, with Milan also interested.
Nastasic was one of the club’s best players two years ago, but he has fallen out of favour and Pellegrini seems to feel that Dedryck Boyata, one of City’s very few home-grown Champions League players, is a better prospect.
Scott Sinclair’s likely destination is Aston Villa rather than Crystal Palace, who are also thought to be interested in the winger.
Pellegrini would also have to cut one foreign player from his Champions League squad if he wants to register Bony for next month’s tie against Barcelona.
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