Bristol City are unlikely to secure a deal which would bring former Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony to Ashton Gate, according to Bristol Live's Gregor MacGregor.

Bristol Live had reported that the Robins were considering Bony and Gary Hooper as credible options to solve their striker shortage, but it now appears there is little chance they will be able to get any deal over the line.

Bony was released by Swansea over the summer having struggled with injuries during his second stint in South Wales, which limited him to just seven Championship appearances last season before he moved on loan to Al Arabi.

Lee Johnson's side were reportedly considering a swoop for the Ivory Coast striker who has been training with Newport County, but it is understood wage demands and contract lengths could prove to be the stumbling block.

Bristol City are in the market for a new striker following the injury suffered by Benik Afobe back in September which ruled him out for the rest of the season, but it is thought the Ashton Gate outfit will be very careful in their recruitment of a replacement.

Johnson currently has the likes of Antoine Semenyo, Andreas Weimann and Famara Diedhiou at his disposal up top, and it is believed any forward who comes in to supplement them must be fit and motivated to succeed.

The Verdict

Bony to Bristol City would appear as an exciting signing on paper given the striker's track record in the Premier League, but the fact of the matter is he has not scored regularly for a number of seasons now.

He struggled with fitness throughout his second spell at Swansea and it is possible that the demands of the English football are now too high for Bony's dwindling fitness levels.

This would be a huge factor in the Robins' consideration of Bony as they need someone who can immediately compete with their other strikers for a place in the side, and it is uncertain whether the Ivorian can provide that presence.

It seems that Bony is desparate for a new club given that he has been training with Newport to keep up his training routine, so I think Bristol City would have been able to cement a deal if they had really wanted to pursue it further.

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