Joe Chapman: West Brom will push hard to sign Daryl Dike in January
West Brom are likely to do everything they can to sign Daryl Dike in January, according to Joe Chapman.
The Athletic reported in October that Albion enquired about signing the striker from Orlando City in the summer but were put off by his price tag.
However, Valerien Ismael has been short of firepower this season and is expected to be in the market for a new centre forward in January.
In a Q&A for the Birmingham Mail on Wednesday (8 December), Chapman discussed the possibility of Dike making the move to the Hawthorns.
“I wouldn’t entirely rule out the signing of someone like Daryl Dike,” he wrote. “We know Ismael knows all about him, that he’s a big fan of him. He got a serious tune out of Dike at Barnsley last season, and he’s very well liked out in the MLS.
“He’s someone who has been linked with the Premier League; as we’ve seen before, players in the MLS will come over here at this time of year because their season has finished, or is about to finish.
“They’d be pushing very hard to get a player like that. Provided they could agree something with Orlando, Daryl Dike would still very much be their number one.”
Perfect fit
Earlier this week (7 December), Valerien Ismael admitted it would be “tricky” for the club to go into the international market in January as new signings would be expected to settle and adapt to English football straight away.
However, this would not be an issue for Dike who of course speaks English and has experience in the Championship with Barnsley last season.
Therefore if West Brom can negotiate a deal for the 22-year-old it would be a fantastic signing.
While a permanent transfer is likely to be off the table as the Baggies would not be willing to spend the money, a loan move seems like something that could be agreed given that the striker’s season in MLS has now finished.
After returning from Barnsley, where he scored nine goals in the second half of last season, Dike netted eight times for Orlando in 14 appearances.
If the 21-year-old was to move to England, West Brom would surely be near the front of the queue given his previous spell working under Ismael at Oakwell.
In other West Brom news, Albion cannot wait much longer to give this academy star a chance in the first team.
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