West Brom are one of the interested parties who would like to sign Bournemouth striker, Benik Afobe before the January transfer window comes to close. The striker has started only 5 times in the league for the Cherries this season and has registered just one goal. That is a concerning statistic for a centre-forward who was once hailed as one of the brightest prospects coming out of the Arsenal youth ranks.
Eddie Howe is reluctant to let go of the striker now that the final stretch of the Premier League campaign is upon us. He was quoted, “I back Benik and I think he has a valuable part to play here.” This is a confusing statement to digest when the side is clearly overstacked with strikers now that Lewis Grabban has returned to club from his loan spell with Sunderland.
The Cherries are just 3 points above the bottom three and have faced their goal-scoring struggles this season with just 25 netted so far in the league. With Afobe’s contract set to end in the summer of 2020, they can bargain out a significant deal for his exit and reinvest it in a more quality option.
Afobe can make a huge impact for a side who are also failing to find the back of the net on regular occasions. West Brom are currently struggling in the relegation zone of the Premier League with their winless run stretching to 21 games. They finally ended that woeful run with 2-0 wing against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend and held off Everton to a draw last night. If they want to save their campaign and escape relegation, Alan Pardew needs to infuse some talent and purpose into the team.
The arrival of Afobe can be the answer to some of the problems the club are facing. Their strikers Salomon Rondon and Kal Robson Kanu have not exactly been firing on all cylinders with just 7 goals between them so far. Jay Rodriguez has been their best-attacking threat in recent weeks and scored the all-important goal against the Toffees.
After the sacking of Tony Pulis, the Baggies really thought Pardew will be the man to lead them out of this rut, but so far it has not been the case. With a lack of resources, the former Palace manager has struggled to make a significant change into the team. However, maybe with a fresh seed of investment, the fans can hope for an improved second half of the season and Afobe can be the man to help them do so.
