Guardiola’s City rag and Bony man
ETIHAD BOSS PLANS FINAL PART OF CLEAR-OUT
WILFRIED BONY is set to return to Swansea in a bargain £13million move, as Manchester City continue their huge clear-out of misfits.
City have already recouped £71m in the transfer market by offloading 16 players no longer wanted by Pep Guardiola.
The Blues want to move out up to five more of their stars and Bony will be the next to go with Swansea confident of taking him back.
The Swans believe they are close to clinching a knockdown £13m deal, after receiving £28m from City for the striker in January 2015.
City are willing to take a substantial hit on Bony, 28, to get him off their books. The Ivory Coast star managed just 10 goals in his time with the club.
The Etihad side are also in talks with Inter Milan over a permanent deal for Eliaquim Mangala, 26, and they want £18m for the French flop after shelling out £42m for him. The Blues have rejected Inter’s enquiry about Nicolas Otamendi and the Serie A side may be unwilling to meet their valuation for Mangala, who spent last season on loan at Valencia. Guardiola’s position on Mangala has softened and the centre-half impressed in Tuesday’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Girona. Guardiola (left) has been playing with three at the back, and the Catalan is prepared to make Mangala his fourth-choice centre-half, if City do not receive an acceptable offer for him. There is no way back for Samir Nasri though, despite going on the club’s pre-season tour to the United States. He has been told to find a new club as he is not part of Guardiola’s first-team plans. Turkish side Antalyaspor have shown interest in the former Arsenal star, 30, who spent last season on loan at Sevilla.
Fabian Delph, 27, can also quit and the England midfielder has been in talks with Stoke, although his wage demands are holding up that deal.
Bony, Mangala, Nasri and Delph cost City £102m and the Blues are prepared to accept half.
Belgium defender Jason Denayer, who has been at the Etihad since July 2013, has also been told to leave, but has turned down the club’s offer of a season-long loan to Girona.
Guardiola is unimpressed and Denayer, 22, who has yet to make a senior appearance for City, has been training with Bony and Nasri away from the first-team squad.