By MEL HENDERSON
The Ivory Coast international is top scorer in Holland, with 26 goals in 24 league games for shock title contenders Vitesse Arnhem.
The Hammers thought they were close to agreeing a record-breaking deal to nab him in the summer.
Co-chairman David Sullivan met one of the player’s agents, London-based Francis Kacou, on Monday.
But Chelsea see the free-scoring forward as a potential replacement for £50m flop Fernando Torres — and made their move later that day.
Jose Mourinho, touted to return to Chelsea from Real Madrid in the summer, was at Stamford Bridge that night for the friendly between Brazil and Russia.
Also present were Vitesse owner Merab Jordania, who has close links with Blues supremo Roman Abramovich, and Erwin Kasakowski, managing director of the Dutch club.
The main topic of conversation between the four was 24-year-old Bony, a player similar in style to his fellow countryman and ex-Chelsea favourite Didier Drogba.
Bony, who scored for Ivory Coast in the 3-0 win over Gambia at the weekend, is under contract until 2015 — but is desperate to move to the Premier League.
And Chelsea are now in pole position to seal a four-year deal for him worth £80,000 a week.
The Blues have a good relationship with Vitesse, with seven Chelsea youngsters having gone there on loan in the past two seasons.
Vitesse are resigned to letting Bony go in the summer.
But first they hope the goals from a player who cost £4m from Sparta Prague in January 2011 will help them clinch a place in the Champions League for the first time.
