Wilfried Bony Transfer Gives Manchester City a Champions League Dilemma

Manchester City have completed the signing of Wilfried Bony from Swansea City for an undisclosed fee, as the Etihad Stadium club confirmed on their official Twitter feed.

The Ivory Coast striker, currently on Africa Cup of Nations duty, has garnered a reputation as one of the most feared forwards in the English Premier League, scoring 20 goals in the calendar year of 2014—more than any other player.

With City suffering something of an injury crisis in recent weeks, when all three of their strikers were injured at once, manager Manuel Pellegrini has decided to spend big in order to increase his options, with Goal reporting a fee of £27 million for Bony.

The prospect of partnering Bony, who excels at leading the line and using his physical attributes to bully defenders, with Sergio Aguero, one of the sharpest and most fleet-of-foot strikers in European football, is a tantalising one.

Bony is an incredibly powerful forward, and his displays up against Vincent Kompany, which have been magnificent and have given the Belgium defender more problems than the vast majority of forwards in the division are capable of, have clearly caught the eye of City’s technical staff.

Bony’s arrival could well spell the end for one of City’s other forwards, though. Stevan Jovetic, who has struggled with injuries and in recent weeks has failed to have much of an impact in the absence of Aguero and Edin Dzeko, would surely be the favourite to make way.

Jovetic has rarely been available for sustained periods since his move from Fiorentina in the summer of 2013, and Pellegrini may feel it is better for the club and the player if he departs in June.

It’s likely the Montenegrin will have between now and the summer to prove his fitness. His tendency to suffer muscle injuries has constantly upset his rhythm and denied him the opportunity to settle.

Jovetic always wants the ball, is brave in possession and is constantly on the move and looking to create. Those are genuinely valuable attributes which have been impressive when he's played, particularly given the fractured nature of his appearances.

However, at times this season, he has appeared somewhat lightweight and incapable of leading the line, and with City blessed with numerous players capable of playing in a withdrawn striker role, Jovetic isn't necessarily needed.

Add to that his appalling injury record and it would hardly be a surprise if he was made available for transfer in the summer.

Indeed, if the club want Bony to be a part of their Champions League campaign this season, they will now have to remove a senior foreign player from the official squad list submitted to UEFA earlier in the season.

Jovetic is certainly a candidate, but his match-winning potential may well see him remain in the squad in case City move through to the latter stages and firepower becomes more important.

Aleksandar Kolarov is another option, particularly given his recent struggles and the fact Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta are both comfortable at left-back should Gael Clichy encounter any fitness problems.

It’s a conundrum for Pellegrini to resolve, but whoever does miss out is likely to be unhappy, and a summer move would surely follow.

The arrival of Bony, though, is a significant boost to a City squad who, despite their early-season troubles, remain involved in the three biggest competitions. They look set to compete with Chelsea for the title right until the end of the season and face Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League next month.

His arrival, although quite costly—especially given he could have left Swansea in the summer for £19 million—could prove to be a significant piece of business if he can replicate his Swansea form at the Etihad.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.