As thrilled as he is that Wilfried Bony has agreed a new contract, Garry Monk still expects the Swansea City striker to be linked with a transfer.
The Ivory Coast international joined the Swans from Vitesse Arnhem in a £12million transfer last summer, and enjoyed a superb debut campaign in his adopted country. Bony scored 17 goals in the Premier League, and a further eight in the cup competitions, the most memorable of which was a late winner to eliminate Manchester United from the FA Cup at Old Trafford.
Such a record inevitably led to much reporting over his future ahead of the current season, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United all said to be interested in the 25-year-old. And although Bony, who has scored four times this term, agreed a new deal to remain at the Liberty Stadium until 2018 earlier this week, Monk expects this speculation to continue in the coming windows.
“It’s just reward for what he’s been doing since he joined us and it’s a boost for the club and the fans but also for his team-mates,” said the Swans head coach, who is preparing his side for the trip to Manchester City on Saturday. “He’s been very important on and off the pitch but he shows the commitment that the club have shown him in offering him a new deal.
“The club deserves it too and him signing it shows clear indication he wants to be here and part of this team, training with the players he’s training with. But I don’t think any contract you sign will stop speculation and being linked with anyone, but that’s not our problem. My problem is to try and sign the players we want on long-term contracts for as long as possible.”
The Swans will travel to the Etihad Stadium full of confidence, having entered the recent international break on the back of a 2-1 win at home to Arsenal. This saw them climb to fifth place in the Premier League standings, and whilst it is unlikely they will collect another maximum point haul this weekend, they could enter the top-four if they manage to pull off a surprise.
Even though he has signed a new contract, is it just a matter of time before Bony leaves Swansea? Let us know what you think by joining in with the discussion below.
