Report Claims Ivory Coast Star Will Stay at Swansea Despite Links With Turkish Giants Besiktas

Swansea City star Wilfried Bony is reportedly willing to stay at the club, despite being linked with a move away from the Liberty Stadium.

The BBC report that Bony has attracted the interest of Turkish side Besiktas, who reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League last season.

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However, the Ivory Coast striker wants to help the Welsh side to return to the Premier League, as he wants to repay the club's faith in him.

Last season was miserable both for the Ivorian and for his club - he scored just two league goals in 15 appearances before suffering a serious knee injury in February which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

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Consequently, Bony could only watch from the sidelines as the Swans finished the season in 18th place in the Premier League table, three points adrift of safety to end their seven-year stay in the top flight.

The 29-year-old's first spell at Swansea could hardly have been more different, as he scored 25 goals in 54 Premier League appearances for the Swans between 2013 and 2015. In fact, his performances were so impressive that he was signed by Manchester City in January 2015.

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Unfortunately, Bony has never been able to emulate the prolific form that he showed in his first one and a half seasons at the Liberty Stadium. He endured an unsuccessful spell at City, netting just six times in 36 Premier League appearances, before having a similarly frustrating loan spell at Stoke City. 

Even if the Ivorian wants to stay at Swansea, the Swans may feel that they need to offload him. He is one of their top earners, and they have to adapt to life in the Championship, where their finances will inevitably be more strained than in their Premier League years.

If this is the case, Bony could certainly do worse than try his luck in the Turkish Super Lig with Besiktas.