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Post by Football News on Jan 10, 2016 18:59:31 GMT
Bournemouth agree deal to sign striker Benik Afobe from Wolves • 22-year-old expected to join for club record fee of around £10m • Eddie Howe hopes Afobe is available to face West Ham on Tuesday  Bournemouth have reached a deal with Wolves to sign striker Benik Afobe for a fee believed to be around £10m, which would be a club record transfer fee. Eddie Howe, Bournemouth’s manager, confirmed the club have finalised an agreement for the 22-year-old, who is due to have a medical this weekend. It is understood Afobe held talks with Bournemouth on Friday and Howe hopes to have him available for Tuesday’s Premier League visit of West Ham. Following Bournemouth’s 2-1 FA Cup win at Birmingham, Howe said: “A deal has been agreed. At this stage there are hurdles to overcome, he will have a medical and we hope to get the deal done in time for Tuesday. He will bring pace, strength, goals and he’s a good technical player as well. He has the whole package. We’re very excited to see him in a Bournemouth shirt.” Glenn Murray scored the winner at St Andrew’s to send them into the fourth round but Howe believes he needed another forward as Callum Wilson is out for the season with a knee injury and Josh King is struggling with hamstring issues. He said: “I felt we needed a striker. Callum we lost and that was a huge blow to us and we have lost Josh King with hamstring problems. It has left us very light and we need firepower. We need players who can come in and do the job. “The players we have here proved they can do a job - Murray came off the bench and scored and it was good to see Lee Tomlin score. But we are light on the ground and hopefully he [Afobe] will add competition for places and real quality in the position.” Wolves confirmed a deal had been agreed, adding: “In the face of significant pressure, Wolves turned down a number of substantial bids for Benik from a Premier League club in the previous transfer window. “Since that point in the summer, until the present day, Benik has regularly restated his desire to leave Wolves and to test himself in the top flight at the earliest opportunity. “Faced with this difficult situation, and with circumstances now changed for Wolves with the club being made available for sale, Wolves were left with little other option than to reluctantly accept the substantial bid. Benik leaves with the club’s best wishes for the future.” |
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Post by Football News on Jan 10, 2016 19:01:38 GMT
 Eddie Howe says the signing of Benik Afobe is a ‘very good deal' for AFC Bournemouth. Howe secured the signature of the 22-year-old on a four-and-a-half-year deal this weekend from Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers. The manager has made no secret of his desire to sign and work with young, hungry players and he believes that this is what the signing of Afobe provides him and the club with. “We feel this is a very good deal for the long-term future of the club,” he told the Bournemouth Echo. “We are trying to look to the future and have signed a player who we believe will get better with us and, hopefully, stay here for many years. “You could go through our squad and pick 80 per cent of players who hadn’t done it until they had been with us. “You need to give players an opportunity and a chance to prove they can or can’t do it. “We could easily go the other route and sign players who have done it but are potentially past their best. But I don’t think that is the right way for this club to go.” Afobe came through the ranks at the Arsenal Academy before being sent out on loan to Huddersfield, Reading, Bolton Wanderers, Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday. He then landed a permanent deal at Molineux in January 2015, and Howe admitted he has followed his career closely and this is what compelled his signing. “We think he is a very good player. He played well and scored against us for Wolves last season and I was aware of him during his time at Arsenal. We have tracked his performances over a long period of time. “He is quick, strong and scores goals. He is young and progressive. “I think there is a lot more to come from him so he really does fit our mould in terms of the players we look to sign. “He is an AFC Bournemouth-type signing and this is a logical step for him and us." |
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