Bony Addition Would Help City Cope with Aguero's Injury Troubles

Wilfried Bony thought he should have started Swansea's New Year's Day match away to Queens Park Rangers. And after scoring a stunning equaliser, he let his manager know it.

"I came onto the pitch and showed [Garry Monk] that I should have started," he told Sky Sports. "I was brought on to push the team up and do my best to score. I was disappointed not to start, but the coach made his choice. Everyone wants to play."

His goal, snapped to the back of the net from crowded space with 10-man Swansea trailing in the 90th minute, may end up being his final tally for the Welsh outfit.

On Tuesday, as he prepared to join up with his Ivory Coast teammates for the Africa Cup of Nations, Bony was reported to be the subject of a £30 million bid from Manchester City, according to Sky Sports. A day earlier, per Matt Law of The Telegraph, the 26-year-old had informed Swansea of his intention to join a Champions League club during the ongoing transfer period.

Should the deal be completed—Law claims he's anticipating a four-year contract worth £100,000 per week—Bony's next bit of highlight-reel Premier League magic will be performed in the sky blue of the holders, and they could surely use it.

Top scorer Sergio Aguero is likely to miss another two weeks with a knee problem, and fellow striker Edin Dzeko has also been absent of late but could make his return from a calf injury on Saturday against Everton.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Dzeko, however, has scored just four goals in all competitions this season, and his ineffectiveness, combined with the inconsistency of Stevan Jovetic, has seen manager Manuel Pellegrini forced into the sort of improvisations that have placed utility midfielder James Milner at the head of the line.

Bony's arrival would provide Pellegrini the attacking depth he seeks, and while the Ivorian wouldn't be available until sometime next month, his addition would be far more than a Band-Aid to an injury-ravaged City squad.

"

Bony more than a 'striker'. Played wide, as a #10, even central midfield in the Eredivisie. 1 of the most intelligent players in the PL.

— Paul Sarahs (@PaulSarahs) January 6, 2015"

A versatile, all-action forward who doesn't neglect his defensive duties, the former Sparta Prague and Vitesse Arnhem striker has only continued to improve in the Premier League since his 2013 arrival, and in the last calendar year, he scored the most goals in the English top flight.

The prospect of a Bony-Aguero partnership is tantalising, but given the latter's troubling history with injuries, Pellegrini must also plan for a future that doesn't necessarily revolve around the electrifying Argentine.

Had Aguero entered January in full health, it's unlikely City would have been in the market for a striker at all. That he didn't allows Pellegrini the chance to add another outstanding one.

Crucially, Bony isn't cup-tied, and assuming his move is completed, he will be available when City host Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16 on February 24—something Pellegrini no doubt considered as he examined his options in the transfer market.

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