Wolves manager Kenny Jackett has told clubs interested in striker Benik Afobe that the 22-year-old Englishman is not for sale at any price, and is staying at The Wanderers beyond the end of the current campaign.
Afobe was signed from one of the Premier League's top sides, Arsenal, for £2million pounds in January - and has scored thirteen goals in 21 Championship games since then. He had already scored an impressive 19 times in a loan spell with League 1 side MK Dons, meaning that he has netted more strikes than ANY other player in English football this seasom, thus interesting some clubs from the Premier League including West Bromwich Albion about his availability.
His boss, Jackett, believes that Afobe can replicate his stunning form for a whole season in the second tier of English football, as Wolves look to get themselves promoted to the Premier League after narrowly missing out this season. They finished in 7th place, with just goal difference separating them from a place in the play-off's with Brentford and Ipswich Town qualifying for a place in the semi-finals respectively.
"We wouldn't be surprised if we got some phone calls, that's pretty obvious, he has done well," admitted the 53-year-old. "But that's not something we are looking to do - we brought him here to take us forward and build a team around him. Giving him a permanent home has really helped him after a number of loans. At 22, I definitely think he can improve in the future. His overall confidence levels have built up since he's been here, his all-round game is very good. I worked with him at Millwall and could see a degree of frustration. Was he going to get a chance at Arsenal? Very, very high standards there. The board of directors have done very well to bring him here. He's made a big impact and it's about him now trying to do that for a full season. We feel he has the potential to do that - we hope he can build on what he's done this year."
Meanwhile, the club's chief executive Jez Moxey had this to say: "He signed a three-and-a-half year contract. He is very happy here developing, he realises he can improve under Kenny. He wants to get us in the Premier League, that's the plan. I'm confident we'll be strengthening our team, not weakening it."