Wilfried Bony on wanting to join Arsenal over Manchester City in 2015

Former Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony speaks exclusively to Ladbrokes about almost joining Arsenal before his switch to the Etihad from Swansea in 2015 and his time working under Pep Guardiola.

• “There were three clubs interested in signing me after my first season at Swansea: Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City. City made their offer at the last minute – I wanted to join Arsenal.”

• “[After City’s offer] I spoke to [Arsene Wenger] in the Marriott hotel, and again Wenger said that the salary would be too much for them.”

• “We had a party to celebrate winning the Africa Cup [of Nations], but within a week I needed to play against Newcastle and then Barcelona. So everything was bam, bam, bam, and the heat added to it, which was up to 42°C. Then to go to Manchester and England, which was below 10°C at that time, does affect you.”

• “There was no confrontation about anything. But after [I] spoke [with Guardiola], in my head I was thinking that I needed to play. That’s what I love about football: playing.”

There were three clubs interested in signing me after my first season at Swansea: Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City.

City made their offer at the last minute – I wanted to join Arsenal. But at that time, the money City put on the table was something that nobody could match, especially in terms of salary.

When Arsene Wenger heard about the salary, he said, ‘That's too big for us! That's too big for us!’ I wanted to join Arsenal, so I met him again in Swansea when we were playing against them. I spoke to him in the Marriott hotel, and again Wenger said that the salary would be too much for them.

I knew that Swansea wanted to sell me because I started being put on the bench. When the time came to move, I was thinking about the African Cup [of Nations] and preparing myself for that. So when the opportunity to move came, it wanted it sorted quickly so that I was mentally ready for the tournament. I even signed for the club while I was in Abu Dhabi, where the Ivory Coast were based in preparation for the AFCON.

It pleased me that it was clubs like City and Arsenal who wanted to sign me because of the way they played. City’s way of playing was very similar to Swansea’s, so I knew that the intensity and everything would be fine. I was happy about that. I only regret one thing: When I returned from the AFCON, I was tired.

I was tired because of the heat, because of the intensity, because of everything. I was cooked. It was difficult for me to match the level where I wanted to be, what I had to be to stand out.

We had a party to celebrate winning the AFCON, but within a week I needed to play against Newcastle and then Barcelona. So everything was bam, bam, bam, and the heat added to it, which was up to 42°C. Then to go to Manchester and England, which was below 10°C at that time, does affect you.

In 18 months, I was fit for just three months because I kept getting injured. And it's difficult at clubs like City, who can buy any player they want rather than wait for you to get fit. So if they put a price on you and you've not performed, it's difficult for you to stay there.

We all knew Pep Guardiola was joining as manager several months before he arrived, but I didn’t speak to him until the first day of pre-season.

We had good conversations. He liked me in training, which was enjoyable. I even enjoyed the friendly game that we played at the end of the month after we’d flown back from China, where we couldn’t play because of the weather.

We didn’t talk about whether he wanted to loan me out. Before he joined, the club maybe gave him a list of players that he looked over and said whether he wanted to keep them because he would be bringing in other players.

He actually said to me that if I wanted to, I could stay. He wouldn’t guarantee that I was going to play often, but he said that the most important thing was that I was ready to play every game.

We talked, so there was a friend mentality despite our different way of seeing things. There was no confrontation about anything. But after we spoke, in my head I was thinking that I needed to play. That’s what I love about football: playing.

Ten years on from missing out on Bony, Arsenal are still looking for an out-and-out No9 to lead their line with injuries to Gabriel Jesus and makeshift striker Kai Havertz forcing midfielder Mikel Merino to fill in up front during the second half of the season.

The Spaniard has done an admirable job in their absence, most recently scoring in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid, before providing two assists at the Bernabeu as the Gunners ran out 5-1 winners on aggregate.

Merino is sure to play a part if Arsenal are to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, with the first leg kicking off at the Emirates on Tuesday.

Ladbrokes have also looked at the route Arsenal must take to reach the Champions League final, as well as how Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea can reach the Europa League and Conference League finals.

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