At 22-years-old, Benik Afobe has already played for eight clubs in England, six of which were on loan while developing his skills at Arsenal under the guidance of then Director of the Arsenal Youth Academy, Liam Brady. Afobe would never make a single competitive appearance for Arsenal, however he was prolific for the youth and reserve teams, including scoring 40 goals for the U-16s in the 2007–08 campaign and was voted as Arsenal's U-18 Player of the Season in 2010.

Afobe signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2010. He would then go on to join Huddersfield Town on loan, where he scored an impressive eight goals in 35 appearances, when he was only 17. He returned to Arsenal in the summer of 2011. Afobe continued to impress at the Emirates in pre-season, making his first team debut in the Emirates Cup against Thierry Henry's New York Red Bulls, but his debut was cut short with a groin injury that would persist over the upcoming season. Benik joined Championship side Reading on a short term loan in March 2012, making only three appearances. 

2012-2013 was a stop-start season for the young striker, as a season long loan to Bolton was cut short by the Trotters and he returned to Arsenal. He would go on to join Millwall on loan, however this deal was canceled only one month in due to a serious knee injury, which required surgery and would keep him on the sidelines for eight months. When Afobe returned from his injury, Arsenal were keen to continue development and sent him on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, for whom he made 13 appearances, scoring two goals. When asked recently about this decision to go on loan immediately after his injury, Afobe spoke about his reluctance towards the move:

“When I was injured I went straight back out on loan right after, when I probably should have stayed and played reserve football."

It was not until this season, however, that Afobe began to show the promise that Arsenal had seen in him from the beginning. A loan move to MK Dons would spark a big season for the frontman, which would see him hit an all-time high in terms of scoring, and a move that surprised a majority of Arsenal fans. Afobe made a total of 30 appearances for MK Dons, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, including two against Manchester United in the Capital One Cup. It was his performances for the Dons that convinced Wolverhampton Wanderers to approach Arsenal about the possibility of signing the youngster on a permanent basis, to which Arsenal agreed to the confusion of some Arsenal fans, who had expected the player to be a future star after so many loan moves.

When Afobe joined Wolves he spoke of his regret, not about leaving Arsenal, but the fact that he stayed longer than he should have;

 “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. 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.”

Wolves signed Benik Afobe for £2 million, according to the BBC, and he has gone on to be the top scoring Englishman across all four major divisions with a total of 31 goals for both MK Dons and Wolves. With the likes Yaya Sanogo failing to find the net at all for Arsenal in the Premier League, and Chuba Akpom not being able to hold down a regular starting place, was Benik Afobe the young striker that Arsene Wenger should have kept hold of instead? 

When asked if he could some day return the Emirates, Afobe responded;

“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.”