Newcastle in hunt for Wilfried Bony signature

Newcastle United's extensive scouting network have identified Vitesse Arnhem forward Wilfried Bony as a hot prospect for the future. Wilfried could be the replacement for Andy Carroll that Newcastle have so far struggled to locate.

Bony originally hails from the Ivory Coast, and has four caps to his name so far. He is expected to be a regular fixture in the national team for some time, though.

The tricky forward had been spotted on the streets of Abijdan by a well known European scout; who fortunately recommended the then 17 year old to Czech giants Sparta Prague.

In three years, Bony became one of Sparta's most important players, and soon a move to a bigger European league would be inevitable.

Vitesse completed a move back in January of 2011 for Wilfried, and he rewarded their significant investment of over €4 million with a debut goal.

In recent weeks, Newcastle have been very pleased with Wilfried's latest performances. They have even had their scouts prepare full reports on his progress so far in the Eredivisie this year.

Bony still has three years remaining on his current contract, and so Vitesse could double their money with a €8 million valuation.