Losers
West Ham Fans
At the start of the summer, there was a lot of hope surrounding the transfer market. David Moyes was speaking of his “Red Bull Project” and his desire to sign young, hungry players from the Championship that can develop.
Though Dawson does fit one of these, sure to be hungry to prove himself again. The 30-year-old is not young and adds to West Ham’s ageing squad. The Hammers have one of the oldest squads on average in the Premier League, the opposite of what Moyes wanted.
Fans would have prefered to have seen one of the top targets signed. A big-money defender signing would have been a responsible move by the club, which has underfunded the defence for years. Diop, at £22.5 million, is the only ‘big money’ signing to the defence, the rest of the back five costs roughly the same as Diop when combining their transfer fees.
Dawson could prove to be a solid back-up when required and could win the fans over. The main issue is that the position will have to be readdressed next summer.
Youth prospects
One of the arguments against signing Dawson would have been to instead promote the younger players. The loanee is supposed to be a back-up to the first team, therefore why not give the position to players like Aji Alese, Harrison Ashby or Jamal Baptiste.
The youth academy players impressed during their appearances in the preseason and in the League Cup. Ashby was a very progressive right-back, and Alese looked composed at centre-back, so why not put your faith in them.
There could have been some future prospects questioning their future at the club after graduates like Josh Cullen and Grady Diangana left the club this summer. Now their path to the first team is even harder with Dawson in the way.
Due to this extra block, it won’t be surprising to see some of the young players request a move away from West Ham. These loans can benefit them, but it could be the first step in the prospects leaving the club permanently.
Time will tell if the arrival of Dawson is a smart one, either way, there are already some negatives surrounding the singing already.