Wolverhampton Wanderers re-sign Benik Afobe on loan

Wolverhampton Wanderers have completed the loan capture of Benik Afobe from Bournemouth.

The 24-year-old previously enjoyed a profitable 12-month spell with the Midlands outfit, scoring 22 times in 36 Championship appearances before sealing a £10m switch to the Cherries in January 2016.

Afobe has found himself surplus to requirements under Eddie Howe of late, however, and the Premier League outfit had been looking to offload the player in January either on a permanent deal or on a loan basis with an obligation to buy in the summer.

Runaway Championship leaders Wolves had expressed interest in re-signing Afobe in the winter window but were not keen to commit to purchasing him at the end of the campaign, leaving the prospect of a deal unlikely.

According to the Express & Star, Bournemouth resurrected the deal just half an hour before the 11pm deadline on Wednesday night after deciding to agree to Wolves' stance on the terms of the deal.

The Midlands outfit are thought to have agreed to pay Afobe's wages in full for the duration of the deal and will also pay Howe's side a loan fee of around £1m.

"I have heard a lot of good things about Benik, personally when we came to the club he had already left," said Wolves chairman Jeff Shi, who represents the club's Chinese owners Fosun. "It's destiny in life that we meet again, so I'm very happy to welcome him back."

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell added: "We're delighted to have Benik back. He's a player we know very well, he's really capable of playing at this level and capable of taking us to the next level, and the frontline becomes more and more exciting.

"It's all about trying to find players who are going to improve who we are and what we do, and in Benik Afobe we've found just that. He has a massive affinity with the fans. He's got a massive affinity with the football club, and would probably argue it's his first love, even though he spent a lot of time at Arsenal.

"I think he recognises what's going on at the club and wants to be a part of it, and we've got him in to be part of the final promotion push."

Afobe joins a Wolves side that are 11 points clear at the top of the Championship table.