• Premier League

Bony granted Swans work permit

ESPN staff
July 23, 2013
Wilfried Bony signed for Swansea in a £12m deal © PA Photos
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Swansea have confirmed that record signing Wilfried Bony has been granted a work permit.

Bony, 24, who signed for the Swans in a £12 million deal earlier in the summer, had been forced to train with former club Vitesse Arnhem as he awaited clearance.

An announcement on the Swansea official website said: "Swansea City are pleased to announce that club record signing Wilfried Bony has been granted a work permit.

"[He] is expected to join the squad for training on Thursday and could feature in Saturday's friendly at Championship side Reading."

Bony - the Eredivisie's top scorer last season, netting 31 goals in 30 league games - will now be part of Swans boss Michael Laudrup's Europa League squad.

Swansea, who won their place in the competition when they lifted the Capital One Cup at Wembley earlier this year, play their first European game against either Hibernian or Malmo at the Liberty Stadium on August 1.

Speaking earlier this month, Laudrup had said he was confident that Bony's paperwork would be sorted out soon.

He told the South Wales Evening Post: "The club are still working on Wilfried's work permit.

"He's still in Holland, and we gave him permission to train with Vitesse because otherwise it would be too many days without doing anything.

"It's something we have to cope with as he is a player from outside the European Union."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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