£7m star leaves West Brom - Stoke, Derby County & Bolton Wanderers must be on red alert | OneFootball

These three EFL clubs should all weight up a move for Daryl Dike after his West Brom exit

Daryl Dike made the switch to West Brom in the 2022 January transfer window in a deal worth £7 million, with the hope that he would lead the line at The Hawthorns for many years to come.

But the forward’s time at the West Midlands outfit has come to an end with a whimper, with the expiration of his contract leading to his exit after an injury-hit four-and-a-half years.

Finess problems hampered the USA international striker during his time with the Baggies, as he made just a total of 64 appearances in the Championship across four-and-a-half campaigns.

Dike joined Albion in a deal worth £7 million from Orlando City when Valerien Ismael was in charge, but he failed to live up to expectations and he is now available on a freebie as a result.

However, he will now be looking to get his career back on track with a fresh change of scenery.

Here, we look at three EFL clubs that should be on red alert following his exit from West Brom...

Bolton Wanderers

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The future of Mason Burstow is up in the air after helping Bolton Wanderers gain promotion, with the forward now returning to Hull City.

While a permanent move to Steven Schumacher’s side could be on the cards, another option could be to sign Dike following his exit from West Brom, even if they are different types of players.

The Whites will need Championship experience next season to cope with the step up from League One, and Dike at his best has shown he can score goals at this level.

Any move for the 26-year-old will be a gamble due to his fitness issues, but he could be a strong presence to lead the line for Schumacher’s side if they can get the best out of him.

His aerial ability is among the best in the Championship, winning 4.88 duels in the air per 90 last season, as well as a total of 7.01 duels on the ground (stats per Fotmob).

Dike’s strength and combativeness will help Bolton be a threat in the final third, making him someone the club should consider this summer, and he could be somewhat of an upgrade technically on Sam Dalby.

Derby County

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Derby County's big summer signing of 2025 - American striker Patrick Agyemang - showed some promise in his debut campaign at Pride Park, but an achilles rupture in April will leave him sidelined for the rest of the year.

While Carlton Morris has performed well for the Rams regardless, John Eustace’s side will want to find a short-term solution to missing the former Charlotte FC player.

And given Lars Jorgen-Salvesen is also into the last 12 months of his contract, and theoretically could leave this summer as well, a new forward would make sense for the club.

As a secondary option on a short-term contract, at least until he proves his fitness, Derby could do a lot worse than add Dike to their squad.

Stoke City

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Divin Mubama led the line for Stoke City last season, but the Manchester City forward has returned to his parent club over the summer.

The Potters will be in need of a replacement, even with Milan Smit's loan move being converted into a permanent deal as per an obligation, and Dike could be an option that presents itself to the club.

The American would be suited to Mark Robins’ style of play, as he is a big man centre-forward with a strong presence in the air.

Dike at his best for West Brom contributed seven goals in 23 games, so Stoke could take a gamble on being able to bring him back to that level.

If any coach is going to be able to turn things around for the 26-year-old, then there won’t be many better options than Robins.