‘Daddy Cool’ back in town? Here’s the pros and cons of a return for ace Bony
THEY say never go back, but you sense there would be plenty of Swansea City fans happy to see Wilfried Bony pull on a white shirt again.
The 28-year-old striker is again being linked with a second stint at the Liberty Stadium, and it is understood there have been discussions over a deal to add him to Paul Clement’s squad, while Turkish side Fenerbahce are also reported to be eyeing a swoop for the player.
Loan and permanent deals have been considered, although it is thought any move would only happen if Swansea were to lose Fernando Llorente this summer.
But, what would Swansea City be getting if they were to seal a deal for Bony? Is he the same player who lit up the league during his first stint with the club? Is he capable of that level of performance any more?
Here, we weigh up the reasons for and against bringing ‘Daddy Cool’ back.
THE PROS
He played arguably the best football of his career at Swansea His goalscoring record at Vitesse Arnhem may have been better in terms of goals per game, but there is little doubt Bony really hit his straps with the Swans.
His 34 goals in 70 appearances was an impressive return and showed he was no one-trick pony. There were powerful headers, delicate chips, tap-ins and fierce strikes in a finishing masterclass.
His all-round play was of a similarly high calibre; his backheel to set up Jonathan de Guzman against Norwich and the skill he showed to work the room for his final Swans goal against QPR were proof of that.
Add in a robustness that allowed him to keep defenders at arm’s length and protect possession with his back to goal and you had a man terrorising Premier League defences.
The fact that Manchester City, who were not alone in pursuing him, felt they simply had to have him at the Etihad tells you just how good his season-and-a-half in Swansea was. He loves the club The fans quickly took to Bony, and he revelled in their acclaim. The song asking the striker to “score some goals for Swansea” set to the tune of Slade’s ‘Cum on Feel the Noize’ regularly reverberated around the Liberty and even the man himself was filmed singing it as he jogged into training one morning.
He has retained a place in their affections since his departure, with the home crowd graciously applauding when he scored for City in a win at the Liberty at the end of the 2014-15 season. He has kept in touch with several staff at the club and has spoken of his love of his time at Swansea in interviews since his exit.
He is a player who needs to be loved, and he will know it will not be in short supply should he return. He has a point to prove Just as he did when he arrived as the club’s record signing from Vitesse Arnhem, Bony would have a point to prove back at Swansea.
His big-money move to City did not work out, and he made next to no impact on loan at Stoke last season.
The season ahead is going to be key in Bony’s career. He is approaching 30 and his stock has fallen since his departure from Swansea.
If he has any desire to continue to ply his trade in one of Europe’s top leagues, he needs to start delivering again, and soon.
THE CONS
He has barely played over the last two years Bony made just 11 appearances for Stoke last season and, while he made 34 appearances for City the season before, only 17 of those were starts.
Bony showed during his time at Swansea that he does need a little bit of time to find top gear, so his lack of match action may well mean his next club will not immediately see the best of him.
Add in the fact he has not gone on City’s pre-season tour and that he will be playing catch-up wherever he goes, and the element of risk rises.
He could not nail down a place in a Stoke side where he should have been an obvious first-choice
Stoke looked to have pulled off a brilliant bit of business with their loan acquisition of Bony, but it simply never
worked out and he was quickly moved to the periphery of Mark Hughes’ plans.
Ironically, his best outing for the Potters came against his former club as he scored twice in a 3-1 triumph over Bob Bradley’s men at the bet365 Stadium.
But, by the end of the season, he was behind Saido Berahino, Mame Biram Diouf, Peter Crouch, Jon Walters, and Marko Arnautovic in Sparky’s striking pecking order.
He should have been an integral part of the side, but found himself kicking his heels on the bench or in the stands.
He won’t come cheap
While there may be an interest on both sides in making a potential deal happen, Swansea are unlikely to be able to land Bony on the cheap. Not that many deals these days tend to come at bargain prices.
City forked out some £25million for him and they are unlikely to be willing to accept a significant loss in order to move Bony on, even if they are keen to get him off the wage bill.
Even a loan deal is likely to come with a sizeable fee, and then there is the small matter of Bony’s near £130,000-a-week salary.
Bony may be prepared to take a cut, but don’t expect the drop to be huge, while a loan move would see a club pick up the majority, if not all, of his Etihad wages. For the figures likely to be involved, any suitor would have to be sure they would be able to get Bony back to his best.