Premier League strugglers West Bromwich Albion were going head-to-head with their Midland rivals Wolves to sign Bournemouth striker Benik Afobe.
It seemed that West Bromwich Albion spent much of the January transfer window trying to bring Benik Afobe to The Hawthorns.
The striker had fallen out of favour at Bournemouth and, with Baggies boss Alan Pardew on the lookout for more firepower, it appeared that he had made Afobe his top target in January.
And even though the Cherries eventually softened their stance and allowed Afobe to leave on loan, West Brom fans surely will not be disappointed that a deal for their top January target slipped through their grasp. Not with Daniel Sturridge now strutting his stuff at The Hawthorns.
Shortly before Afobe sealed a return to Wolves two years after he left Molineux for the Vitality Stadium, West Brom pulled off one of the shock deals of the transfer window by luring Sturridge from Liverpool to The Hawthorns, beating Newcastle United and Inter Milan along the way.
Afobe should be a fine addition for Wolves, having averaged a one-in-two ration during his previous spell at the club and boasting enough Championship pedigree to fire them to the title and promotion to the Premier League.
But Afobe never really cut it in the top flight with Bournemouth and West Brom, a side needing a goal-scorer to fire them to safety, probably needed to do a little better in the transfer window.
Sturridge, therefore, is a substantial upgrade on Afobe, albeit only if he can stay injury free for the whole of his loan spell and rediscover the sort of form that once made him one of England’s most instinctive goal-scorers. He certainly looked sharp in Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat to Southampton.
Wolves, then, are welcome to Afobe. So long as Sturridge is fit and firing.
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