The agent of Wilfried Bony has dismissed recent speculation linking his client with a summer transfer from Swansea City.
Having been a prolific goalscorer in the Czech Republic with Sparta Prague and in Holland with Vitesse Arnhem, the Liberty Stadium club paid a club record £12million to sign the Ivory Coast international last year. And the 25-year-old has been an instant success in the Premier League, with 16 goals and four assists from 33 outings.
This has led to speculation linking Bony with a move during the forthcoming transfer window. Earlier this week The Mirror claimed Arsene Wenger has set his sights on the player as he looks to add more firepower to his Arsenal attack, whilst on Tuesday the Daily Star suggested Borussia Dortmund want him to replace Robert Lewandowski.
Either move would, in all likelihood, appeal to Bony, who has recently expressed an interest in playing UEFA Champions League football. However, he remains under contract until the end of the 2016/17 season, and replying to the speculation of a summer switch, his agent claims the Ivorian has no immediate plans to quit the Welsh side.
“We are very happy with what he achieved in his first season at Swansea,” Dalibor Lacina told the Daily Star. “He’s happy to stay there and it was a good decision to go there. He appreciates that Swansea are the club who gave him his chance in the Premier League. He will go to the World Cup in the summer and we think he can be even better next season. He has three years left on his contract and his situation is stable.”
Under Michael Laudrup last season the Swans finished ninth in their first ever Premier League campaign, and also won a first major honour when they thrashed Bradford City in the League Cup final at Wembley. They have failed to replicate this form this time round, to such an extent that the Danish coach was dismissed in February.
His interim replacement, Garry Monk, has at least led the club to top-flight survival, which was clinched with a 4-1 win against Aston Villa at the end of April. The 35-year-old, who has been at Swansea since 2004, is expected to be handed the job on a permanent basis, and he is determined to prove he is capable of managing at the highest level.
“When they offered me the job doing this side of it, people doubted I could get us safe, and we proved them wrong,” he said. “Next season, they will say he hasn’t got any contacts, he can’t get players, who wants to come and play for Garry Monk? It’s another chance to prove them wrong, which is something I have lived by in my whole career.”
