The Bournemouth hitman would be an excellent signing for Aston Villa.
Villa boss Steve Bruce faces a challenging campaign ahead of him, and will certainly need to add further quality to his squad over the course of the next month, if he is to guide his side to a successful Championship campaign.
The Villans were woeful last term on the whole, and were never really in contention to finish inside the top six – something that absolutely must change this time around.
One particular area where Bruce does need to improve is his forward options, with Jonathan Kodjia set to miss the start of the new season, as he continues his recovery from the serious ankle injury that he sustained last term.
Benik Afobe of AFC Bournemouth
With this in mind, Villa should consider entering the race for Bournemouth hitman Benik Afobe, who has already been linked with a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The 24-year-old moved to the Vitality Stadium in January 2016, for a fee believed to be in the region of £10 million, but failed to establish himself as a first-team regular for the Cherries, making just 26 league starts in the process.
His record at Championship level is an impressive one, however, having scored 22 goals in 46 league outings for Wolves during a one-year spell at Molineux, and that kind of return could make all the difference for Villa this season.
Afobe has an abundance of pace, and his ability to run in behind the opposition defence could prove to be crucial to Bruce’s side, by helping them stretch the size of the pitch, enabling their midfield players to operate with more space in the middle of the park.
The former Arsenal ace is also a clinical finisher when presented with a goalscoring opportunity, so he would undoubtedly add a certain level of potency that the Villa attack are currently bereft of.
And if Bruce manages to bring him to Villa Park, it could turn out to be a signing of real significance for the Villans.
Benik Afobe of AFC Bournemouth
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