Manuel Pellegrini: 'Wilfried Bony will be key player next season'

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has insisted that striker Wilfried Bony is a key part of his plans for next season.

Bony has started just two games since leaving Swansea City for the Etihad Stadium, but as the Ivorian prepares to return to his former club on Sunday afternoon, Pellegrini believes that the £30m forward will become a "very important player" for the club.

The 61-year-old told reporters: "It's important to have this clear - we didn't bring in Bony just for this year.

"Maybe it was a difficult start for him here mainly because of his injury. Maybe he's not playing the amount of minutes he must play, but I'm sure that he'll be a very important player next season."

City can guarantee a top-three finish in the Premier League standings with a win at the Liberty Stadium.