Everton are reportedly interested in Manchester City’s Wilfried Bony, but they should look elsewhere to boost their forward line.
Despite the recent additions of Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez, Everton are still on the lookout for more bodies up front. With Romelu Lukaku now gone, they want to do everything possible to replace the 25 league goals he scored last season.
As per a report from David Wright of the Express, Everton have been linked with Manchester City’s Wilfried Bony. According to Wright, the striker is also attracting attention from West Ham, West Brom and Marseille.
However, the Blues should look elsewhere to boost their attack, but not because Bony recently said his preference is to stay at City and fight for his place. We don’t think he’s overrated per se, but he isn’t as good as some people may think.
Before we explain why, let’s at least point out the 28-year-old’s positives. His biggest attribute is undoubtedly his strength – the guys is as strong as an ox.
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As Bony himself admitted in an interview with The Guardian back in November 2014, he’s naturally strong and big. Heck, he’s never even pushed weights.
Talking of 2014, this was an impressive year for the then Swansea City player, as he led the Premier League with 20 goals. With 15 more strikes in 51 games at the international level for the Ivory Coast, he appears to have the type of resume Everton are looking for.
However, if we look at Bony’s production — or lack thereof — in recent years, it’s possible he isn’t quite the scoring machine analysts believed him to be. In fact, it’s fair to say he’s struggled during the last four campaigns.
At the start of 2015, City paid an initial fee of £25 million for the Cyril Domoraud Youth Academy player. Since then, things have gone awry, leading to the perception that the pressure of increased expectations has had a negative impact on him.
After struggling in Manchester, Bony was loaned out to Stoke City last season, where matters didn’t really improve. However, it is worth noting Mark Hushes stopped picking him altogether after Christmas, when he returned from the Africa cup of Nations.
Regardless, the former Sparta Prague player has amassed just 21 goals in 79 appearances over the previous four seasons. You have to wonder if Premier League defenders have now got the measure of him, with Michael Owen previously saying he lacks mobility and pace.
With all this in mind, Bony is arguably not the answer for Everton. Just don’t expect us to admit this to his face.
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What do you make of Everton’s reported interest in Bony? Would you sign him, or look elsewhere to add depth in attack? Share your thoughts in the comments section.