Wolverhampton Wanderers are a club adapting to change after a hectic summer at Molineux.
The Old Gold said goodbye to a host of players and a manager during the summer break, with former boss Julen Lopetegui bidding farewell just five days before the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
Gary O’Neil was a quick replacement for the former Real Madrid manager, trusted to lead the depleted squad into the Premier League season after a period of uncertainty.
Due to restrictions relating to Financial Fair Play (FFP), Wolves were forced to make sales to generate cash, however, due to such constraints, the players sold weren’t able to be sufficiently replaced in the market.
Despite having to wave away star names such as Matheus Nunes and club captain Ruben Neves, the Midlands side made over £100m in sales, balancing the books in order to put themselves in a more assured financial position going forward.
Like every team, Wolves have recorded both strong and weak movements in the market over the years, making questionable signings and sales, although the club have also struck gold in some instances.
One player, in particular, that of Benik Afobe, enjoyed a rich scoring streak at Molineux and was sold under bizarre circumstances, however, the club got the best out of his resources and made a profit.
How much did Wolves sign Benik Afobe for?
Signed in the January window of 2015, Wolves captured the signature of highly-rated striker Benik Afobe from Arsenal.
The then 21-year-old had graduated from the Gunners’ academy, making the move to the Old Gold in the Championship following an explosive loan spell in the division below with MK Dons.
In the first half of the 2014/15 League One campaign, the forward made a significant impression on those interested in his services, scoring ten goals in 22 appearances as well as six goals in just four League Cup appearances.
It was clear to see why Wolves eyed the striker, who had prevailed as a natural goalscorer following his experience on loan spells, making the move the ideal path for both club and player.
There was no worry of an adaptation for the Hale End graduate, who got stuck into life in the Midlands where he left off at MK Dons, scoring frequently and setting the tone for forwards at Molineux.
How many goals did Benik Afobe score?
In the second half of the 2014/15 campaign in the Championship, Afobe netted 13 goals and recorded five assists for his new club, showcasing just how prolific he could be in front of goal.
The 2015/16 campaign was a repeat of the season before, as the striker ended the season having represented two clubs in different leagues due to loan experience.
Afobe started the term at Molineux, scoring nine goals in 25 appearances in the Championship, however in January was swooped up on a permanent move to the Premier League to sign for Bournemouth, just one year after signing.
Wolves had reportedly turned down numerous bids for their star striker, however, a £10m bid could not be rejected, with the player wanting to experience playing in the top flight.
Before his departure, the manager at the time Kenny Jackett lauded his striker for his “professional” handling of being subject of transfer rumours, however, his desire to play in the Premier League proved to outweigh his desire to finish the season at Molineux.
It wouldn’t be the last time that Afobe and Wolves were together, as in 2018, the Congolese sensation was back in the Midlands on a half-season loan spell from the Cherries.
The move at the time was critical for the Midlands side, who were hoping to seal promotion to the Premier League, which they did by May, with Afobe contributing six goals in 16 appearances to help the club secure promotion.
What happened to Benik Afobe next?
In the summer of 2018, Afobe made the move back to Molineux permanently in a £10m transfer, however, what came next was a bizarre turn of events.
The striker had already yo-yo’d back and forth between clubs throughout his career, with the permanency of his final Wolves deal being far from secure.
After penning his new deal with the Old Gold, Afobe was attracting interest just four days later, with Stoke City rumoured to be hoping to make a move for the forward.
Within the first two weeks of June, the former Arsenal youngster had signed for Wolves and then moved to Stoke City to sign a six-month loan deal with an obligation to buy in January 2019.
The obligation to buy was a fee of £12m, meaning Wolves had made a £2m profit in a matter of days, with there being confusion with the deal as a whole.
From Wolves to Bournemouth, to Wolves, to Stoke, Afobe endured a whirlwind few years, which didn’t show any signs of settlement as he joined Bristol City on loan in 2019, followed by another loan in Turkey at Trabzonspor for the 2020/21 campaign.
On returning to Stoke from Turkey, it was unknown what would happen next for the striker, who spent the remainder of his playing days in England at Millwall.
An initial loan deal with the Lions turned into a one-year permanent contract, where he scored a total of 15 times in all competitions over the two seasons for the Championship side. That record was perhaps an indication that the Old Gold sold him at the right time.
Where is Benik Afobe now?
Despite being unsettled for the majority of his career, Afobe maintained his ability to score, netting a recorded 109 domestic goals at various levels and clubs.
The 30-year-old now resides and plays in the UAE and represents Al-Dhafra FC, whom he signed for in August from fellow UAE club Hatta.
Benik Afobe career history
Bournemouth
70
Millwall
65
Wolves
64
Stoke City
51
Huddersfield Town
35
MK Dons
30
Trabzonspor
29
Bolton Wanderers
23
Arsenal U21
20
Sheffield Wednesday
13
Bristol City
12
Reading
3
Hatta
Unknown
Al-Dhafra
Unknown
From north London to the Middle East, Afobe’s career has taken him on a journey through football, playing for 14 clubs since signing his first professional contract at Arsenal in 2010.
His journey at Wolves amounted to 29 goals in 64 appearances in all competitions, with him fondly remembered at Molineux despite the stop-and-start feel of his time in gold.
A £2m profit worked out to be a strong business move for the Midlands club, who have maintained their Premier League status following the striker’s contribution to their push for promotion.