Transfer deadline day was interesting for Swansea City fans this year. As expected, Spain striker Fernando Llorente decided to leave the Liberty Stadium but opted for Tottenham Hotspur over defending Premier League champions Chelsea – arguably one of the shock moves of the summer.
But perhaps more interestingly from a Swansea perspective, Wilfried Bony is back in south Wales after leaving for Manchester City in 2015.
During his previous tenure at Swansea, Bony scored 35 goals in just 70 appearances for the club. The Ivory Coast star was close to unplayable at times and Swansea fans will be excited to see him back at the Liberty Stadium after a fairly disappointing few years at City.
We'll go wild, wild, wild… 🎶 pic.twitter.com/JljASfbhEz
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) August 31, 2017
In time, Bony could find his best form and his goals could make all the difference as Paul Clement’s men look to secure their Premier League status for the seventh season in a row.
At the time of writing, Swansea are 9/4 to avoid relegation down to the Championship and plenty of punters will be backing Clement’s men to stay up after their exploits in the transfer window.
The loan acquisition of Bayern Munich star Renato Sanches sent shock waves across European football; Clement’s relationship with Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti played a key role in that transfer and Bony’s impending move in the same direction may also have helped.
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Llorente did a job when needed but he lacked the consistency to lead the Swansea line on a weekly basis. With Bony now back and hopefully among the goals, the Welsh outfit can start to plan ahead for the future.
Remember, Swansea were competing in the Europa League not too long ago and supporters will be dreaming of a return to the continent. The Jacks are still some way from competing in Europe again but Bony is capable of spearheading a side in the pursuit of glory.
If you read up on the latest 2017 – 2018 UK betting offers, you will see a number of tipsters writing about Swansea’s survival chances. Prior to deadline day, the Swans were arguably in a spot of bother but now, Clement should have the required tools to mastermind the Welsh outfit up the Premier League table.
A top-half finish isn’t out of the question if the likes of Bony and Sanches settle quickly and avoid injuries. After all, both men are expected to play crucial roles for Swansea in the coming months.
With Swansea now in with a reasonable chance of staying up, fans can relax – especially after the impressive result against Crystal Palace at the end of August. With over 30 league games remaining, the Jacks still have a long way to go but Clement has his side heading in the right direction.
You won’t find many Swans supporters complaining about Bony’s return, he was somewhat of a cult figure at the club and he is still young enough to take centre stage once again.
Paul Clement should build his new-look Swansea side around him in order to give the Welsh outfit the best possible chance of climbing the table. After all, we all know how reliable Bony is in front of goal.