West Brom sign Daryl Dike on four-and-a-half year deal
Albion have addressed their need for a striker on the first day of the transfer window by bringing in Daryl Dike on a four-and-half-year deal from Orlando City.
The Express & Star revealed last month the 21-year-old was the number one target for head coach Valerien Ismael.
And now the boss has got his man – with Dike having previously thrived under Ismael while on loan at Barnsley last season.
It had been believed Albion were negotiating a deal that would see the American arrive on loan – with the transfer becoming permanent if the Baggies were successful in reaching the Premier League.
But it is understood following his first visit to the club for more than three years, owner Guochuan Lai gave the go-ahead for a permanent deal for Dike following a meeting with Ismael last month.
And ever since, Albion have been pushing to sign the centre-forward on a permanent basis.
Having scored eight goals in his last 10 games for Orlando, the Express & Star understands Dike had interest from clubs in Italy's Serie A.
But his relationship with Ismael has been pivotal in him opting to head to The Hawthorns.
The fee for Dike is officially undisclosed.
But reports have previously linked with the forward with £15million moves to Leeds, Crystal Palace and West Ham.
Dike passed his medical today and is expected to be in the stands when Albion take on Cardiff tomorrow.
But having not played for a month, fans are likely to have to wait until the game against QPR on January 15 to see the striker make his debut.
Having paid a substantial fee to land Dike, the Express & Star understands Albion are unlikely to make any more additions this month – unless they can offload players first.
But even if a couple of players do depart, Ismael has stressed he will only make additions if they fit his long-term vision for the club.
Dike scored nine goals in 19 appearances for Barnsley last season – 13 of which were starts.
And it's now hoped he will continue his prolific form for the Baggies.
Albion currently sit fourth in the Championship – but Ismael's side have dropped numerous points after failing to win games they dominated.
The Baggies have had more shots than any other team with 516. But their coversion rate is the fourth worst in the division at just 5.8 per cent.
