Benik Afobe joining Trabzonspor from Stoke as ex-Arsenal striker looks to relaunch career with transfer to Turkish club

BENIK AFOBE is joining Turkish club Trabzonspor for a season.

The Stoke striker confirmed to SunSport that he has joined the Super Lig club in a move that will be officially announced later.

Former Arsenal and Bournemouth striker Afobe, 27, was left out of Michael O’Neill’s squad for the opening-day draw against Millwall.

And he is set to put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him in the Turkish city of Trabzon until next spring.

Afobe – who Stoke bought from Bournemouth for £12million in the summer of 2018 – was on loan last season at Bristol City.

But after scoring three goals in five games, the striker injured his ACL and did not return to action until after the coronavirus lockdown.

He managed another three starts and five sub appearances for City and also started Stoke’s 0-0 Carabao Cup draw with Blackpool that they won on penalties.

It is a far cry from Afobe’s success earlier in his career, helping loan clubs Reading, MK Dons and Wolves to promotion.

The 2014-15 season remains the 27-year-old’s best in English football, notching 32 times in a year split between Milton Keynes and Wolverhampton.

It has been a traumatic year for the former Arsenal kid, whose two-year-old daughter Amora died of the rare kidney condition nephrotic syndrome.

But Afobe – who says he has never felt in better shape physically – is hoping to relaunch his career in Turkey.