After a year of speculation, a half-season of success and an international tournament, Daryl Dike has left Orlando City Soccer Club and signed with West Bromwich Albion of England’s Championship.
Dike’s been linked with a move to England since his massively successful loan stint with Barnsley last winter where he scored 9 goals in 19 games and helped lead the Tykes to a surprise spot in the promotion playoffs. Dike was Orlando’s best player down the home stretch of the season with 10 goals and an assist in 15 matches for the Lions. On top of that, he was a contributor on the United States Men’s National Team in a successful Gold Cup tournament.
The time was right for Dike to make his move back across the pond. While he can be streaky, he’s proven that he’s already an elite MLS forward and is ready for the next step in his development. He’ll reunite with his manager from Barnsley, Valérien Ismaël, as he looks to become a Premier League-caliber center forward. The Championship isn’t the most prestigious division in the world, but it’s one Dike’s familiar with and can thrive. Being at a club like West Brom, he’ll be able to win promotion to the Premier League (they’re currently fourth and four points off automatic promotion) and garner interest from bigger English clubs.