Wolves are favoured to convince Bournemouth striker to sign with them by the end of the January transfer window. A product of the Arsenal youth academy and once deemed to be the next in line to lead the strike force of the North London club, Afobe has just registered one goal for the Cherries this season in his 22 appearances.
Eddie Howe was reluctant to let go of the striker now that the final stretch of the Premier League campaign is already 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. Wolves will have to shell out an amount upwards of £10m, the same amount they received for him two years back. Now that Rafael Mir has arrived will they agree to the hefty fee over a striker who has just scored 11 times in 70 all over appearances in the Premier League?
They are already preparing for a future in the top flight English football and are looking into the January transfer market as a preemptive effort to bolster the club ranks.
However, Afobe’s case is a weak one judging by his struggle to find the back of the net. The striker stands 6 feet tall and has the technical ability to hold up the ball and link up with the rest of his teammates. He also possesses the speed and agility to beat defenders on the run but lacks the ultimate crucial attribute – an eye for goal.
In the modern game strikers who are tagged as superstars in the lower leagues often fail to produce in the big stages. Making the leap to the Premier League is a huge talent jump and judging by the season Newcastle United are having, not something any manager or player can take lightly. Competing against best will require the mental and physical stamina to put up consistent performances for 38 games in order to survive a season in the league, something Wolves are planning to do next season.
