With the January transfer window approaching, silly season on rumours has begun. Don't worry though, the chances of Wilf leaving are minute...
When the summer transfer window slammed shut an overriding sense of relief flooded across South West Wales. The reason? Big Wilf remained. I said all last summer that the amount of money required to prise him away from the club would simply be too much of a risk for any big club to take based on only one season's worth of goals in a big league, and happily that logic proved correct. We had no reason to sell then, and thankfully, that's still the case today.
Predictably, with January approaching rumours of "Bony to <insert struggling big club>" have again started to surface, and given he's now the Premier League's top scorer in 2014 with twenty goals this calendar year it's no real surprise. What is a surprise to me though is that people still seem to think £25million is a fair price. In my eyes, that's still quite a way short of his value - based on current form, potential, and his importance to our club.
He's a key part of the team and that can't be undervalued. There should be a premium on any player who's integral to our success, and couple that with our rock-solid financial footing and again, we can afford to ask for more if a bid were to come in.
I've had a look at a list of the most expensive transfers in British history, just to see how much people have asked for similar players in the past. We'll get on to strikers shortly, but you just have to look at Man City's transfer business this summer to come to the conclusion that £25million isn't enough. They spent £34million on Fernandinho & £32million on Mangala - both players with no prior Premier League experience. Bony now has that, and since he got up to speed with the levels of fitness required in this league he simply hasn't stopped scoring.
Strikers then, and there's two that jump out. Firstly, Andy Carroll. Ok, it was a ridiculous fee, but that Liverpool paid £35million a couple of seasons ago speaks volumes. If a big club wants their man enough, and they feel he's the one they need to progress and win trophies, then they'll spend what it takes. Bony is in my opinion a much better player than Carroll, and what's more he stays fit, unlike the hairy gangly menace who has a habit of scoring against us.
Next; Torres. £50million. FIFTY MILLION. How did that one work out, Chelsea? Ha. Strangely, the season Liverpool sold him his goal return was by far his worst during his time at Liverpool - he had thirty-three in fourty-six his first season, seventeen in thirty-eight his second, twenty-two in thirty-two his third season, but only nine in twenty-six the fourth season at Anfield. You couldn't argue with his previous at the time, but even with the amount of goals he'd scored it was a staggering amount.
This leads me to my main question - why couldn't we demand £35million plus for Wilf? He's scored more than any other player - Aguero included - in this calendar year and it's obvious to most that Wilf is capable of, and is, getting better all the time. He's more mobile, his link play is improving, and to me £25million doesn't come close to doing justice to a player of his calibre, and in the form he's in. People will argue that if Aguero had been fit he'd have scored more, and while that's nice in theory theories don't put the ball in the back of the net. Ivorian beasts who never get injured do it every week though, seemingly.
Serendipitously, something which Swansea fans (myself included) had previously moaned about may actually work in our favour, halting any bids coming in for him until late, late January at least. The African Cup of Nations. Bony could be away until well into February, so hopefully that puts off any prospective suitors from making a bid until the summer at least. People tend to panic buy in January up top when they need goals, but if Wilf isn't available it's unlikely he'll be considered.
As Wilf, Monk & all Swans fans acknowledge, if the right bid comes in we'll have no problem selling him. Only if the deal is right for the club though. We paid £12million for him and we've just given him a bumper new contract, so that'll be factored in if and when a bid arrives, and I firmly believe any bid of below £30million should be laughed off. Frankly, he's worth more in today's market.
We're not little old Swansea City any more. Sure, most clubs in the Premiership are probably "bigger" than us in terms of infrastructure and fanbase, but there are few who are on a sounder financial footing. This allows us to negotiate more easily than most clubs who wouldn't be able to turn down any bid of £20million plus; if we can get an extra £15million on top of that it would be massive to the club, and there's no reason why we shouldn't be looking to get it if a Man City or a Tottenham came looking.
In short, barring a complete collapse in goalscoring form I'd be very disappointed if, from this point on, we sold Wilf for anything less than £30million, but I'd hope for more like £35million. He's worth more than that, and we can afford to ask for it.