Orlando City star Daryl Dike continues to receive interest from Premier League teams and others, but the Lions are holding firm on their $20 million price tag for the promising young striker, a club source told the Orlando Sentinel.
Clubs from top-flight leagues outside of England also have reached out to Orlando City about the 20-year-old striker in recent weeks.
But the Orlando City front office is not interested in any offer lower than the original option-to-buy clause on Dike’s loan deal with Barnsley — $20 million for 80% of his rights.
With only 38 matches under his belt, the Lions are confident in Dike’s potential and feel they won’t need to bend or break on their valuation, the source said.
Coach Oscar Pareja previously stated Dike will likely return to the team for the 2021 MLS season following the completion of his loan in May.
The club turned down a $10 million offer from a top Premier League club in March. The offer was similarly structured to the option-to-buy clause — $10 million for 80% of Dike’s rights, providing the Lions with a 20% fee on any future transfer.
According to reports by English outlet TEAMTalk, Dike has attracted the interest of a lengthy list of Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton, Leeds United, Wolverhampton, West Ham United and Newcastle United.
The TEAMTalk report said Everton has the most interest in potentially signing Dike, but the team has yet to place a bid.
During an interview with The Athletic this week, Barnsley CEO Dane Murphy said Premier League scouts have regularly attended Dike’s matches.
The CEO said he received several calls from teams in the league who wanted to “take the temperature on Daryl.” He said he was surprised by reports of the $10 million bid rejected by Orlando City.
Dike sparked excitement from the moment he touched down in Barnsley. After netting five goals in 11 league appearances, the striker earned Barnsley Player and Goal of the Month honors.
The team has climbed to fifth in the Championship since his arrival and now sits only 11 points away from promotion to the Premier League.
Dike spent the March international window with the United States senior men’s national team. He played in one match against Northern Ireland, earning praise from coach Gregg Berhalter and coming inches away from his debut international goal as a disruptive second-half substitute.
Dike will return to the pitch with Barnsley on Friday against Reading to begin the second half of his loan period. The game will kick off at 12:30 p.m. ET with a live stream available on ESPN+.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Julia Poe at jpoe@orlandosentinel.com.
