It would, therefore, make sense for City to allow Bony to be loaned out until then with West Ham keen to do a deal with Andy Carroll also injured for at least the next four weeks due to a knee problem and with Diafra Sakho wanting to leave the club.

A stumbling block, of course, could be Bony’s wages which are believed to be as high as £128,000 which is far in excess of the £90,000 earned by West Ham’s current highest-paid player, Carroll. However it is likely that City may be willing to help cover part of Bony’s wages as Guardiola looks to trim his squad before the closure of the window.

The irony for West Ham is that Bony was a transfer target for the club before he signed for Swansea from Vitesse Arnhem but former manager Sam Allardyce preferred a move for Carroll who has been plagued with injuries.