Why Manchester City Must Maintain Faith in Former Swansea Striker Wilfried Bony

Speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Swansea on Sunday, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has spoken of his belief that Wilfried Bony, the club’s big-money January signing, will play an important role for his side next season.

Bony was signed from Swansea for an initial £23 million but has so far failed to establish himself in City’s first-choice XI. His involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations in January delayed his introduction to the team, and a couple of niggling injuries have seen him fail to get a decent run of games.

He’s scored just once in 10 appearances so far, however, he’s only started twice, with a number of short cameos making it difficult for him to find any rhythm.

His all-round game has looked excellent, though, given his limited playing time, but some profligacy in front of goal has raised question marks over City’s decision to bring him in.

But it's clear he brings a new dimension to City’s attack, with a blend of physical strength and deft touches making him different to any other player in the squad. In theory, he should be an excellent foil for the nimble, fleet-of-foot Sergio Aguero.

Edin Dzeko’s disappointing season could see him exit in the summer, with Bony a younger, ready-made replacement for the Bosnian. Having had some involvement since his move in January, the hope now is he will hit the ground running at the start of next season.

Asked if City will see the best of Bony next season, Pellegrini was unequivocal in his response.“Yes, of course,” the Chilean said. “It is very important to have that clear.

“We didn’t bring Bony just for this year. We bought Bony because we were sure that he is a very good player, an important striker and he will be in our team. Maybe this year, for different reasons, with his problem in his ankle and his knee, he is not playing the amount of minutes he must play but he will be a very important player in the future.”

Meanwhile, Pellegrini has admitted it’s City’s lack of consistency that has cost them the title this season. Too many sides City are expected to beat have taken points off them, and they exited both domestic cups in dreadful fashion, losing to Newcastle’s second-string XI in the League Cup and Championship team Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.

Pellegrini says he feels his side aren’t too far away from Chelsea in terms of quality but says they need to match their consistency.

“Next year, we must make some changes,” he said. “I don’t think we are very far from Chelsea or from other teams and in the games we play against Chelsea we didn’t see a better team than our team but they were more consistent during the whole year. That is why they won the title.”

Pellegrini confirmed he has a fully fit squad for the trip to Swansea, with the exception of Samir Nasri who will miss the remainder of the season with a groin injury.

City need just a point from their remaining two league games this season to virtually guarantee a top-three place, thus avoiding a potentially problematic Champions League playoff game in August. They are five points ahead of fourth-placed Manchester United and have a far superior goal difference.

Given their struggles for much of 2015, Pellegrini knows he needs a strong finish to the season in order to strengthen his position at the club. Four straight wins have altered the picture dramatically, but he will be desperate to make it six wins in succession ahead of a huge summer for the club.

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.