West Brom will have to pay a 'hefty' loan fee if they are to bring in Orlando City's Daryl Dike in the January transfer window.

Despite their positive season so far, Valerien Ismael is desperate to sign a new striker next month after Jordan Hugill has struggled to make his mark on the team.

And, it has been suggested that Dike is a prime target, with the Albion boss having worked with the USA international at Barnsley when he enjoyed a prolific spell for the second part of the previous campaign.

With the 21-year-old continuing to impress in MLS, having hit 11 goals in 19 games, he would be a real coup for the Baggies if they could finalise a deal.

However, The Athletic have warned that the financial aspects of the deal mean it may not be straightforward.

"Dike, for example, would be an obvious target to improve Albion’s front line with his Major League Soccer season now over but the Orlando City striker, who helped Ismael take Barnsley to the Championship play-offs last season, would command a hefty loan fee at the very least."

The verdict

This is a tough one for the Albion hierarchy to balance up. On one hand, if Dike helps Albion to the Premier League, which is a real possibility, then even a big loan fee would be worthwhile.

But, you don't really want to be in a position where you are spending on a player who isn't yours, particularly if there's no chance of signing him permanently.

So, you would expect that more negotiations are needed, where Albion may need to commit to a big, permanent fee if they go up. But, it's clear they need a goalscorer and Dike would be a brilliant addition if they could pull it off.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.