Afobe pleads with Sako to stay at Wolves

Wolves hot-shot Benik Afobe today pleaded with team-mate Bakary Sako to stay and claimed the winger has never talked about leaving Molineux.

Villa are leading the chase for the 26-year-old, who is out of contract and available on a free transfer in the summer.

Albion offered £2million for Sako in January, when Queens Park Rangers also bid along with an un-named foreign club.

Afobe has scored 12 goals in 19 games in partnership with the Mali international since his £2million arrival from Arsenal in January.

The 22-year-old reckons that, as far as he is concerned, Sako's focus has never wavered beyond Wolves.

He said: "I want Bakary to stay and the club wants him to stay, but we'll have to see. It's his and his family's decision.

"All I know is he gives 100 per cent in training, around the changing room and match-days. He doesn't say 'I'm off anyway if we go up or not' so I give him a lot of respect for that.

"He's never once said he's leaving, he doesn't say goodbyes early. He's just working hard and he's like any of the other lads."

Whatever happens, Afobe has become a firm admirer of the wide man, who has lit up Molineux over the last three years with 37 goals in just 122 games, including a career-best 14 strikes this season.

"He's a good friend of mine and, since I've been here, he's scored seven or eight goals, so he's been an influential player.

"He's a fantastic player. I haven't had the conversation with him about whether he wants to stay or go because that's something he and the manager and his agent have to talk about."