Will Arsenal regret letting Benik Afobe leave?

It is amazing that Arsenal have let such a promising (and prolific) young striker as Benik Afobe be sold this season, and could be construed as very strange behaviour from Arsene Wenger, considering that the Frenchman sets high store on bringing hot young English players through the youth system.

Afobe has always been a high-profile goalscorer from an early age. He actually joined Arsenal at six years of age and his records began when he was just 15 when he scored 40 goals for the U-16s in 2007–08. He went on to score 11 goals in 13 appearances in 2008–09, and 21 goals in 24 appearances for Arsenal U-18 in 2009–10, when he was signed up on a professional contract. That was five years ago and surprisingly he has never appeared for the Gunners senior side, not even in the League Cup.

Instead he was sent out on a never-ending series of loan moves to gain experience but when he finally starting scoring again (at MK Dons this season), he was immediately sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers. This season has seen him hit the heights yet again, with 19 goals for the Dons, and now another 11 in the Championship with Wolves, making him the first striker in the country to reach 30 goals this season. At only 22 years of age now, he has the capability of improving for more years to come, but Arsenal sold him for a mere £2 Million, according to the BBC.

He has recently asked if he thought there was a chance he could move back to Arsenal one day. He admitted that he had some regrets that he hadn’t actually spent more time actually with the Gunners! “Maybe I shouldn’t have gone on some of the loans,” Afobe told FourFourTwo. “Not because I wasn’t good enough, but more for the fact that they’re about getting you ready and improving your game.

“When I was injured I went straight back out on loan right after, when I probably should have stayed and played reserve football. The loan has to suit a player and it has to come at the right time in their career, but I do believe they help a lot of young English players.”
He was then asked outright if he could ever seeing himself returning to Arsenal at some point in the future, and he replied: “You never know,”

“I’ve seen interviews of players saying they would never go back to this team or that team, but I don’t like to wish anything on my future.

“I believe what happens in my life happens for a reason. I honestly couldn’t tell you what I’d do – I take it one season at a time.”

Well this season has been a real breakthrough for him, and with Wolves still in with hopes of making the play-offs, we could maybe even see him bck at the Emirates next year with Wolves. Who would bet against him scoring against us?

Tags Afobe MK Dons Wolves

16 Comments

  1. This question was asked not that long ago…

    NO. Akpom is a better prospect, while Welbz is 24. He’s not Arsenal class, Wenger rarely lets a proper baller get away without good reason.

    1. what hurts me most is seeing 16m gone a mediocre player brought in…2m gotten and a superb goal machine gone (30 goals) no one else has done that in england yet, now don’t tell me abt where he’s playing.
      He must b brought back

      1. @ArnSam
        Spot tha FCK on dude. I always thought and still do think we should have kept him. He is more powerful, pacier, clinical, is more intelligent and has a higher work rate than “any” of our current strikers…
        People only comment on his scoring record after reading the results. Watch him play and see how he scores. Then come back and say that Akpom, Sanogo, Theo, Giroud or Welbeck are better…
        You won’t be able to…

        1. I actually think Wenger let him go because of a lack of ball playing skills, passing link up etc skills usually associated with midfielders. Wenger likes certain types of strikers and the only time i recall him getting a player who is all about finishing is Jeffers, we know how that turned out… there was Suker & Eduardo too but they had something more also a high class of finishing ability especially Suker.

          I would like to have seen if Afobe could have continued his mkdons exploits at Arsenal in the same way he has done with Wolves.

          I believe Wenger has got this one wrong, I believe given the opportunities we create for our strikers Afobe would score plenty.

          1. Agree. He has 30 league goals in 107 appearances – good for his age but there are dozens of players in the lower leagues knocking them in for fun who will never, rightly or wrongly, be seen in the PL. Whilst the numbers make a good case for him I am sure Wenger knows something we don’t.

  2. Will we regret it? Maybe, maybe not. Who knows, he may want to come back here if he proves himself. But to me the bigger question is why does Wenger let Afobe go, yet persist with Yaya Sanogo?

  3. Afobe was an excellent prospect and goal machine. I don’t understand why Wenger let him go and kept Sanogo.

    But what’s done is done. We should not regret when we can rectify with new signings

    We still need another top striker this summer. We have one with Giroud but need another.

  4. Off topic! How many games are we short off of becoming the new invinsibles? Top teams are no factor for us anymore. Just ask City, Liverpool and Man united. Chelsea’s up next. Can’t wait. Gunner for life!

  5. now fans wants a championship scoring Striker leading the attack…..????

    what we need is a world class big name big tag experienced striker not another wannabe….

    Afobe will be just another player warming and rotting the bench along with Gnabry, Zalelem, Akromp and etc……

  6. I genuinely think afobe should have had a chance instead of spending 16m on welbeck. But in fairness to wenger he would have got slated for it.

    Judging buy afobe performance this season we would have got a better goal return than welbz.

    It was the right decision to let him go to progress his career to make him have a greater chance of reaching his full potential. I wish the lad best of luck and maybe one day he gets a go in our first team

  7. Afobe has obviously shown he has a huge promising goal scoring potential worthy of been kept at Arsenal. But the boss thoughts on him has run contrary to some beliefs in some quarters. Nevertheless, we have wished Benik success in his quest to become a prolific goals scorer in the top eclon of the game. And if he is destined to play for Arsenal first team, he will sooner than later do that as the boss could resign him.

  8. like wenger said he and the club try to be fair to players who aren,t getting any playing time&need it,unlike others clubs,managers who keep players just for the sake of not selling them to rival clubs and stopping their development credit should be given to arsenal!!

  9. The lad is scoring for the fun of it at the moment but I’m not convinced he would find it quite so easy in the premier league.Good luck to the boy anyway

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