Wilfried Bony transfer news: Manchester City and Chelsea chase £30m Swansea striker

Two clubs chasing Ivorian, who scored 20 goals in 2014

Wilfried Bony hits Swansea's equaliser (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester City and Chelsea will do battle for Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony, according to reports this morning.

The Ivory Coast striker was the best in front of goal this calendar year, scoring 20 goals in 2014 - more than any other Premier League striker.

But the two clubs will have to pay upwards of £30million for the striker if they are to bring lure him in January, even though they would have only paid £19m in the summer.

Bony, 26, signed a new contract in November that removed a release clause that would have made him available for a very reasonable price.

Liverpool were linked with a £16m move for Bony but refused to meet the release clause, according to reports in the summer.

With Manuel Pellegrini's side struggling after the loss of Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic through injury, with Alvaro Negredo on loan at Valencia, City have been strikerless and been forced to play utility man James Milner up front in the last two matches.

City, according to the Daily Telegraph, have now made inquiries for the Swansea striker.

However, The Times this morning report that City will face competition from their main Premier League rival Chelsea.

The paper reports that City are a step ahead of their rivals at this stage, with the Blues preferring to wait to sign Bony next summer, with Didier Drogba considering his retirement.