It may be the end of Wilfried Bony’s tenure at Manchester City for the moment. But he will be fine.
In an article posted by The Sun on Wednesday it was reported that Bony may be placed on a season-long loan to Turkish side Galatasaray. The deal is reported to be worth around 3 million pounds, although Bony’s former side Swansea City also appears to be interested in regaining his services.
To say that Bony’s time with City has been a disappointment would be an understatement. Since coming to the club under high expectations, the Cote D’ Ivoire international has scored just 10 goals in just 46 appearances.
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Although his form improved in his second season, he still never really lived to his 25 million pound transfer fee.
Bony’s situation is a common one in European football. In an age where power clubs are looking to sign as many players as possible and coaching tenures are rather short, players often get lost in the shuffle particularly when they do not make an immediate impact. Barring that player’s name being Messi, Ronaldo, or Busquets any gaffe or missed opportunity means their spot may be in jeopardy.
That may sound like a bit of an out and certainly Bony is responsible for not making the most of his on chances. But that does not necessarily mean that he is a terrible player. It does mean that perhaps he is not in the best possible spot to succeed. This is what we like to call The Victor Moses Complex.
For Bony, getting out of Manchester City is the best possible move for his career. Whether it is for just a year or for longer Bony needs to regain his confidence as a striker and be given an opportunity to play. Given that City is looking for another forward the likelihood that Bony would be anything more than an FA or League Cup player is slim.
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If City ships him off to Galatasaray he will have at least a chance to start. Aside from Lukas Podolski, The Lions do not have much depth at striker despite having scored 69 goals last season in the Turkish Super Lig. Manager Jan Olde Riekernik likes to run a very fast, aggressive which would suit Bony’s skills perfectly. Having Wesley Sneijder setting him up also would not hurt.
While a move to Swansea might sound like a great idea, it hurts City in two ways. First, Bony will have the chance to exact his revenge twice against his former club during the 2016-2017 season. Given how close this Premier League season seems like it will be facing a motivated Bony might not be the best thing.
Second, it gives Bony the chance to improve and ultimately improve his re-sell value. Although he is 27 (he will be 28 in December), Bony still would likely have value either in Europe or in China down the road. A strong season in Turkey might drive up his price and ultimately give City a chance to recoup some of their losses.
While Bony’s Manchester City stay has been disappointing his career is not over yet. A move abroad could help both parties in their respective pursuits.