West Ham United defender Craig Dawson is a target for Premier League rivals Aston Villa, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
The lowdown: Mr Reliable
Signed from Watford for £2m in July 2021 following a successful loan spell with the Irons, Dawson has become a key figure in the heart of David Moyes’ defence during his time in east London.
The 32-year-old has already amassed 74 outings for the Hammers, taking his overall career tally to a staggering 440 senior appearances across spells at West Brom, Rochdale, Bolton and the Hornets.
However, following the signings of Nayef Aguerd and Thilo Kehrer this summer, an injury-hit Dawson has had to start the campaign on the periphery of matters and could be targeted by Premier League rivals as a result…
The latest: Dawson wanted
As per the Daily Mail, Villa are believed to be ‘keen on recruiting’ the 32-year-old before the transfer deadline passes on Thursday night.
It’s claimed that the Midlands outfit have ‘made a move’ for the man who was praised by Gary Neville for a ‘brilliant’ performance against Chelsea in April as Steven Gerrard attempts to bolster his own defensive department after a poor start to the new season.
The report states that Moyes ‘wants Dawson to stay’ at West Ham, but the veteran defender is seemingly ‘unhappy’ with a lack of opportunities in east London.
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The verdict: No chance
As the Irons deal with their own defensive crisis, allowing a player of Dawson’s proven ability to leave the club so close to the end of the transfer window is not a viable option for Moyes and GSB.
Instead, West Ham could be looking to bolster their own options at the back, having been linked with a move for Attila Szalai over the weekend.
Last season, the experienced Englishman scored four times and provided two assists whilst amassing a mammoth 50 appearances across all competitions, earning a 6.94 SofaScore rating whilst winning 4.1 duels, making 4.1 clearances and helping to keep five clean sheets in the league.
Valued at £2.7m and into the final 12 months of his contract at the London Stadium (Transfermarkt), the West Ham hierarchy could be looking to tie Dawson down to a new deal in the near future to avoid losing the defender for nothing down the line, rather than allowing him to join Villa now.