• Premier League

Swansea confirm record signing Bony

ESPN staff
July 11, 2013
Wilfired Bony scored 36 goals in 36 games for Vitesse Arnhem last season © PA Photos
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Swansea have confirmed they have parted with a club record £12 million fee to sign Vitesse Arnhem striker Wilfried Bony.

The Ivory Coast international becomes the Swans' most expensive ever player after they eclipsed the £5.5 million spent on Pablo Hernandez last summer.

Bony, 24, scored 36 goals in as many games for Vitesse last season and he becomes Michael Laudrup's sixth major summer signing, following the arrivals of Jonjo Shelvey, Jordi Amat, Jose Canas, Alejandro Pozuelo and Jonathan de Guzman.

"I am looking forward to joining the training camp out here in Holland as a Swansea player and building up good communications with the team and coaching staff as quickly as possible," Bony told Swansea's official website. "This move has been talked about for quite some time, so I am delighted it is all completed.

"Now it is important that I focus my mind on the challenge ahead because I hope to make the Swansea fans very happy.''

Bony could face former club Vitesse in the Europa League this season, with the Ivorian previously proving prolific in the competition during his time at Sparta Prague.

''The Europa League is my first focus,'' Bony said. "I enjoy playing in Europe; I am used to it.''

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