Comment: Is it time to cash in on Afobe?

Benik Afobe is a wanted man. Wanted by Norwich City, primarily, but let's be honest a host of Premier League clubs are interested in snaring one of the country's hottest young properties.

Norwich, it seems, won't take the hint, writes Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers.

A pitiful opening salvo of around £6m was swiftly rejected and led to a strongly-worded statement from 'the club' (as in, noticeably not attributed to either Steve Morgan or Jez Moxey, no doubt keen not to put their name to it in case it came back to bite them on the backside).

That statement outlined in no uncertain terms that Afobe would not be sold this season.

Undeterred, Norwich returned on Tuesday having upped the offer to £8m. Again, Wolves said no, and Kenny Jackett seemed irked by the bid when he spoke after that evening's League Cup win over Barnet.

"Anything to say on that?" Jackett was politely asked by one of the smattering of reporters in the Molineux tunnel.

"Yes I have," began the curt response. "Benik Afobe is a Wolves player and when the window shuts he'll still be a Wolves player. He won't be leaving."

Yet a few hours later, back came the Canaries with another bid, this time of £10m, on Wednesday.

This was 'immediately' rejected, not even considered, Wolves said, before referring to last week's statement.

Norwich, a club anxious to bring a striker to boost their Premier League survival hopes, are either doing this out of desperation, or because they believe Afobe is keen on a move.

Noises from Norfolk suggest the former is more likely than the latter, with there being no indication yet that Afobe wants to leave Molineux.

Just a couple of couple of weeks ago the likeable 22-year-old was talking of enjoying his football, that he felt like a kid playing with his mates, and how much he was revelling in the new 'number 10' role as a playmaker.

Not the words of a man looking to move to a different club.

And, let's not forget, this is a player who swapped life at one of the biggest clubs in the world in Arsenal for regular first-team football at Wolves.

He's a nice guy to boot - one of the more eloquent footballers you'll meet - with no air of an ego when he walks into a room.

From a Wolves perspective, their star man has three years left on his contract – and that's important.

Twenty league goals this season - and his form suggests he will do just that - and Afobe could be worth even more next summer, so if Wolves don't go up they can cash in and rebuild.

In the current transfer market he is arguably worth far more than the £9m Burnley shelled out to buy Brentford's Andre Gray, and with the potential Afobe has shown you'd also expect him to cost more than Wolves' two biggest transfer sales – those of £11m for Matt Jarvis and up to £14m for Steven Fletcher.

From a business perspective it's a gamble to turn down £10m for a player who cost £2m just a few months ago.

But Wolves, it would appear, are thinking bigger. The £100m pot of gold on offer if they win promotion this season is far more likely to be achieved with Afobe in the team.

His sale would not only see Wolves deprived of their best player, but imagine the damage it would to team morale, the message it would send in terms of ambition.

Wolves are trying to build something here - a young, vibrant team ready for the Premier League,

The timing, too, is dreadful, a week before the end of the transfer window and after many months of Jackett building the team around Afobe in the wake of Bakary Sako's departure.

After the pig's ear made of identifying Sako's replacement, not too many Wolves fans would back the club to replace Afobe, especially with just a week until the window closes.

But, more importantly, it would erode much of the trust Wolves have so carefully built up since the dark days of Stale Solbakken and Dean Saunders.

All this changes in the time it takes to say the words "transfer request" or "we've had a bid of £15m and we can buy Dwight Gayle and get Alex Pritchard on loan and have cash to spare'.

But until either of those moments come, Wolves need to stick to their principles and withstand Norwich's interest.

They might just have to use the 'see previous statement' line a few more times yet.