Premier League club Swansea has broken its transfer record to sign striker Wilfried Bony from Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem for 12 million pounds ($18 million).
The Ivory Coast international has signed a four-year deal with the south Wales side, which is in the Europa League next season after winning the League Cup.
Bony's transfer fee more than doubles Swansea's previous record outlay of 5.5 million pounds ($8 million) paid to Valencia for Pablo Hernandez last year.
Having watched Swansea on television last season, the 24-year-old Bony says ''they have some good players and I like the way they play. I appreciate the style, which is similar to the Dutch way.''
Bony says he turned down offers from clubs in England, France, Ukraine, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
