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Published Sep 14, 2026, 8:10 AM GMT+1
Daniel is an experienced football writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering the professional game, specialising in the Championship, Football League and Scottish football, alongside in-depth coverage of Norwich City, Celtic and Rangers.
A journalist since 2015, Daniel began his career writing for Fresh Press before progressing into a full-time writing and editing role, producing club-focused coverage for Read Norwich, Read Celtic, Read Liverpool and Read Arsenal. He later spent almost a year with Liverpool-based outlet Anfield Watch, where his work included conducting and transcribing interviews with figures including Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, former Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa and journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Daniel has worked with Snack Media (now Valnet) since 2021, contributing to Football FanCast as both a writer and editor. His work focuses particularly on player analysis, transfer insight and original football features, combining detailed knowledge of the game with research-driven assessment of players, clubs and potential moves.
His specialist knowledge of Norwich City and the Football League has also seen him contribute to BBC Norfolk and assist DAZN with research for commentary broadcasts. As a Norwich City season-ticket holder, Daniel brings a level of first-hand knowledge of the club and its players that complements his wider expertise across the Championship and EFL. His Norwich coverage has also featured in publications including the Coventry Telegraph and Liverpool Echo.
Alongside his Football League expertise, Daniel has covered Celtic and Rangers extensively, developing a strong understanding of Scottish football. His work gives readers informed transfer assessment, detailed player analysis and authoritative insight into clubs and competitions he has spent years following and reporting on.
West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City are two of the teams who will be hoping to be in the promotion picture by the end of the Championship campaign.
Both sides failed to win on Saturday, as the Baggies were held to a draw by Queens Park Rangers and the Canaries were beaten 4-3 by Middlesbrough in a thriller on Teeside.
Whilst the summer transfer window ended at the start of this month, the free agent market remains open and both teams could look to dip into it to bolster their squads for a promotion tilt.
Norwich, for example, named 24 players in their 25-man squad for the first half of the season, which means that they have a space to add one free agent to Philippe Clement's group.
Where West Brom and Norwich need to strengthen their squads
The 4-3 loss to Boro on Saturday exposed the lack of depth in central midfield for the Canaries, as Pelle Mattsson and Kenny McLean looked off the pace defensively after playing week-in-week-out since the 3-0 loss to Millwall.
Sam Field has not played a single minute in the last six matches, suggesting that he is not trusted by the manager to provide quality on the pitch, and Mirko Topic remains out through an ACL injury.
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MK Dons |
13 |
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West Brom |
4 |
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Millwall |
60 |
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Cardiff |
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Burnley |
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Stoke |
|
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Sheffield United |
|
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Birmingham |
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Middlesbrough |
The Canaries do not have the strength in depth to rotate Mattsson or McLean out of the side without significantly reducing the quality of the team, which looks like a big issue at the moment.
West Brom, meanwhile, are lacking in experienced options in the middle of the park after Alex Mowatt was sold to Derby County towards the end of the summer transfer window.
Now, there is a free agent option who could be West Brom or Norwich's own version of the reigning Championship Player of the Season, Hayden Hackney, who joined Everton for £16.5m over the summer.
How West Brom or Norwich could sign their own Hayden Hackney
One of those two teams could solve their problems in the middle of the park by signing a free agent who has the potential to be a Hackney-esque figure.
In the 2025/26 campaign, the England U21 international won the Player of the Season award after scoring five goals and providing seven assists, whilst winning 4.8 duels per game, in the Championship.
Joe Aribo has been a free agent since his contract with Southampton in the second tier expired at the end of July, and he would be a terrific short-term option for the Baggies or Norwich in midfield.
The left-footed star offers physicality and technical quality, which is what the Canaries need, and he is a vastly-experienced player, with 364 career appearances, which is what West Brom need.
Aribo struggled for game time in the 2025/26 campaign, only playing 13 times in all competitions, but he had played 27 matches or more in each of the eight seasons prior to that.
His form for Southampton and Rangers before his struggles last season suggest that he has the potential to be a Hackney-esque player for Norwich or West Brom if they snap him up on a free transfer.
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24/25 |
3 |
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23/24 |
4 |
1 |
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22/23 |
2 |
|
|
21/22 |
9 |
10 |
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20/21 |
8 |
7 |
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19/20 |
9 |
8 |
He was particularly impressive during his time at Rangers in Scotland, scoring 26 goals and providing 25 assists in 149 appearances, but the midfielder also helped Southampton to win promotion to the Premier League in the 2023/24 campaign.
Aribo, who has been capped 34 times by Nigeria, knows the Championship and has played a role in a team that has won promotion from the division, which means that he has the experience that the Baggies and the Canaries need this season.
It is not just his goals and assists that make him a Hackney-esque player, though, as the midfielder won 3.8 duels per match and won 55% of his ground duels and 52% of his aerial contests in the Premier League as recently as the 2024/25 campaign.
Aribo is a mobile and physical midfielder who can get about the pitch to win challenges and compete in duels, which is exactly what Norwich are lacking as an alternative to Mattsson or McLean.
He is also an experienced player who knows the league, has won promotion from the division, and can add much-needed experience to a group of young West Brom midfielders.
Therefore, both teams should be looking at Aribo as a player who could provide experience and quality in midfield to be their own version of Hackney in the Championship promotion push this season.
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