NTT20 Scouts: an elite finisher, a box-to-box gem and a league-leading assist-maker
🚨 EFL FREE TRANSFERS 🚨 We assess the merits of signing the out-of-contract Daryl Dike, Jamie Jellis or Ilmari Niskanen
Sam Parry: There are a lot of free transfers knocking about – have you seen the full list?
In this article, I’ve set myself the task of picking out just three players from the EFL freebies list and attempting to match them to suitable clubs. The result:
Daryl Dike, previously of West Bromwich Albion
Jamie Jellis, previously of Walsall
Ilmari Niskanen, previously of Exeter City
Plus 10 honourable mentions
Let’s get to it…
Daryl Dike
🚀 Ceiling — Dice roll for Middlesbrough?
🧱 Floor — Erm, he travels home to the US of A for a stint in MLS
🎯 Sweet Spot — Derby, Sheffield United, Wrexham
Sam Parry: An injury-ridden spell at West Brom has drawn a medical curtain around the doubtless talent of Daryl Dike. Yes, this is a classic “if fit” scenario, though we have to wonder whether there is still a devastating Championship striker waiting to reappear.
West Brom know only too well that too many injury-prone players can become a perfect storm. It was not that long ago – January 2026, in fact – that Daryl Dike and Josh Maja started together for the first time despite both being at the club for two and a half years.
No longer under contract, Dike is very available while also coming with a very large question mark around his availability. But given that he has just turned 26 and at least showed signs of recovery by playing 719 Championship minutes last season (the 3rd-most minutes of his EFL career to date), appearing in matchday squads consistently after the opening months, there should be clubs willing to gamble on the American putting a hamstring tear, a thigh tear and two Achilles tendon ruptures behind him.
Age: 26
Height: 187cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Status: Free Agent
Position: Striker
