Benik Afobe
Afobe struck his 29th goal of the season against Leeds Getty Images

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Benik Afobe sent another message to former club Arsenal with his 29<sup>th goal of the season to help beat Leeds United in the Championship and draw level with Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane as the country's leading club scorer.

Afobe netted 19 times on loan at Milton Keynes Dons before frustration at a lack of first team opportunities saw him swap North London for Molineux on a permanent basis during the January transfer window, a move which has seen the 22-year-old's career take off.

Ten goals have followed in 15 starts to help propel Wolves into the playoff positions and within touching distance of automatic promotion with five matches remaining as Kenny Jackett's team have won their last four games on the spin.

The Waltham Forest-born forward didn't make a single appearance in five years as a professional at Arsenal, spending time on loan with Reading, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday among others before a period of sustained success at Stadium MK.

During the first half of the 2014/15 season, Afobe flourished in League One, netting 19 goals for Karl Robinson's promotion hopefuls including in the 4-0 destruction of Manchester United in the League Cup.

Arsenal, who added Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez to their artillery in the summer, remained unimpressed and in January he signed a three-and-a-half year deal with Wolves and is now on course to be reunited with his former club in the Premier League.

Afobe's exploits this term have displaced Harry Kane as English football's highest goalscorer in club competition as he struck his 29<sup>th goal of the season and is rapidly closing in on a return to the top flight, with or without current club Wolves.

With all the attributes to make it at the highest level, Arsenal face being up against one of their biggest errors in the transfer market less than a year after allowing him to leave the club.

Striker-partner Nouha Dicko is hopeful that while Afobe is destined for the Premier League, he achieves that feat with Wolves.

"Benik is a great player," he said. "He has everything for him to go forward in the future. He is a good player and we understand each other well off the pitch, which helps on the pitch.

"With his qualities and mine defenders are not really happy to play against us. It's a great joy to play with him and I hope it will go on for a long time.

"You can see that he is scoring goals and having a fantastic season and I really think in the Premier League he wouldn't have any problems playing. I hope that he will stay here and do it because he is a fantastic player.

"He would have something to prove to himself because people would expect him to do well there, but when you have this kind of expectation it is only because you have done really well and that's good for him."