Ex-Wolves and Stoke City star Benik Afobe joins club managed by Andres Iniesta | OneFootball

Benik Afobe has signed for the Andres Initesa-led UAE side Gulf United

Benik Afobe has joined his 17th different club in his career, continuing his time in the United Arab Emirates.

The 33-year-old has a glowing pedigree in the EFL, making over 250 appearances across the Championship and League One, alongside playing 63 games in the Premier League.

The Arsenal academy graduate burst onto the scene in the 2014/15 campaign after a few dud loan spells with the likes of Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday.

That year, he scored 10 in 22 League One outings at MK Dons, prompting Wolverhampton Wanderers to pay £2 million for his services in January 2015. He'd net 13 in 21 Championship games, taking his overall tally to 23 and 32 in all competitions.

Bournemouth would then break their transfer record to sign him a year later, bringing him to the Premier League for £10 million. Despite scoring 10 times in the two seasons he spent at the Vitality Stadium, he was unable to really stake a claim to be a starting top-flight frontman.

Afobe would bounce around different Championship clubs after leaving Bournemouth, such as Wolves again, Stoke City, Bristol City and Millwall, before continuing his career in 2023 in the Middle East.

Benik Afobe signs for Andres Iniesta-led Gulf United

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This summer, Afobe has joined his fourth UAE top-flight side since he made the move across to the Middle East back in 2023. However, this specific transfer has garnered some extra attention.

The 33-year-old has signed for Dubai-based Gulf United, a club that was only just founded seven years ago, and has been in the league system in the UAE for even less time, entering the third division in the 2021/22 campaign.

Back-to-back promotions under former Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor outlined their ambition, and in the years since, the Eagles have been pushing to become one of the best, most recognisable teams in the UAE.

In comes Afobe, who has a glowing scoring record in the UAE's top flight, and he's become one of the first signings under new manager Andres Iniesta.

The Spanish footballing legend, who has won everything there is to win as a player, from nine La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with Barcelona, as well as two European Championships and a World Cup with Spain, ended his career with the UAE side Emirates.

Now, he's embarking on his first role in senior management, intending to hopefully take Gulf United to the next level, following a 10th-placed finish last season.

Bringing in Afobe, who scored seven times in eight games for Al-Arabi last season, will definitely help that cause.

Benik Afobe becomes the latest former EFL player to make a move to Gulf United

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Afobe isn't the only player who has an EFL past who has made the move to Gulf United in the past five years. The 33-year-old arrives to play alongside former QPR and Swansea City midfielder Leroy Fer, who has been at the club since 2025.

Former Celtic and Norwich City frontman Gary Hooper spent a short time on the Eagles' books, too, during the 2022/23 campaign, and Lars Veldwijk, who played in the Championship with Nottingham Forest, scored 14 times in 12 games during the 2024/25 campaign.

Additionally, alongside Steven Taylor, former Swansea full-back Neil Taylor is one of six managers who have overseen first-team action at Gulf United.

New boss Iniesta will be hoping for a similar scoring record from Afobe in the upcoming campaign, as he's shown in previous seasons, as Gulf looks to continue building on the field to match their ambition off it.