By Official Florida FC
Daryl Dike is heading back to the English Championship.
Orlando City kicked off the new year by transferring the 21-year-old forward to West Bromwich Albion. Dike scored 10 goals in 19 appearances for Orlando City in 2021. He finished the year scoring in five consecutive matches for the Lions.
“I am extremely grateful to everyone at Orlando City for believing in me and for giving me the opportunity to play for this incredible club,” Dike said in a statement released by the team. “This was a great place for me to start my career and I am thankful to the club for helping me toward this next step of my journey. I will always cherish my time here with my teammates, coaches, and staff, but I’ll especially miss the fans and the incredible atmosphere they create for each home game.”
Dike scored 19 goals and added seven assists in 38 MLS matches.
Dike was loaned to Barnsley during the 2021 offseason and scored nine goals in 1,291 minutes. There were talk Dike would be permanently transferred to Barnsley last summer, but he returned to Central Florida and had another strong season for Orlando City.
Barnsley has struggled to score this season. They have scored the fewest goals in the Championship with 16 goals in 24 matches. West Brom kicks off the new year fourth in the Championship (11-5-8, 41 points). The Baggies have scored 30 goals in 24 matches.
Orlando City will look far different in 2022. Winger Chris Mueller signed with Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League in July. The club did not extend a contract to captain and leading scorer Nani. Dike’s departure means 23 of the Lions’ 49 league goals in 2021 will no longer be with the club.
