Arsenal Made an Uncharacteristically Huge Mistake Letting Benik Afobe go to Wolverhampton

It’s not often that Arsenal sell someone and it turns into a “why would they do that?” scenario. Usually players are given every opportunity to succeed at Arsenal and if for whatever reason they’re sold, it’s because they just never could fit in (for instance, Gervinho or Nicklas Bendtner).

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Young players are especially rarely ever sold or let go of, even if the time comes that they still aren’t contributing to first-team action at an age where they really should be (for instance, Ryo Miyaichi or Joel Campbell).

Yet Benik Afobe was sold for a mere 2 million pounds to Wolverhampton in a deal that, at the time, wasn’t really overly acknowledged but now is appearing to be a huge blunder on Arsenal’s part.

Benik Afobe has scored more goals than anyone in England – 31 – and he’s showing no signs of slowing down as he’s absolutely swarming with confidence. “I had self belief but when you play week in, week out you’re going to get more confidence – it’s a different type of confidence – it’s one to know you’re unstoppable,” he said (via DailyMail).

The youngster claims to have figured out the keys to becoming a successful striker, “It’s the mentality you’ve got to change to be a top goalscorer and I’ve realised that. All the top goalscorers who score week in, week out like (Lionel) Messi and (Sergio) Aguero, they believe they are going to score before they’ve had a chance and that’s the only difference between a top goalscorer and an average striker,” he said (via the Express).

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The comments can only leave us wondering what could have been. He really does glisten with the confidence of a top striker and it’ll be interesting to see how far he can take Wolverhampton and what sort of offers come pouring in for him well over the 2 million pound range.

Oddly enough, Jack Wilshere predicted the success of his former team mated “Jack said before the season started that I was going to make a name for myself. He even joked that he was going to put a bet on me to be top goalscorer” Benik Afobe revealed, as reported by HITC.

It really makes you wonder what made Arsenal so keen to sell the 22-year old striker. They send plenty out on loans, including fellow striker Chuba Akpom, but to outright sell a young player with all the confidence in the world is befuddling. It’s even more befuddling now that we see how successful he’s becoming. Obviously the Championship is a bit different than the Premier League but you can’t exactly teach a nose for goal (see Danny Welbeck) and Benik Afobe has that.

I guess just chalk this up as a rare, uncharacteristic mistake made by a side of Arsenal that we rarely see make mistakes.

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