City confirm Bony transfer

LONDON: Manchester City yesterday confirmed the signing of striker Wilfried Bony on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Swansea.

“City have completed the signing of Wilfried Bony from Swansea City,” the club announced on their website. “The 26-year-old striker has agreed terms on a four and a half year deal which will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until the end of the 2018/19 season.”

There was no immediate word on what the transfer fee would be but British media reports had claimed that Manchester City had agreed to pay up to £28 million for the Ivory Coast player.

Bony was quoted as saying: “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.”

“I think it’s a great decision for me — Manchester City is in the Champions League. You remember at the end of last season I said that if I want to move it will be to a team in the competition because it’s a great tournament that I really want to play in and one that I want to win.

“It’s a motivation for me to give my maximum to be in that place. City is a big club with great players with a lot of experience; I believe we can do it.”

Bony is thought to have undergone a medical examination with City in Abu Dhabi, where the club’s owners are based.

He is currently on international duty with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. The forward joined Swansea from Vitesse Arnhem in 2013 for a club-record fee of £12 million.