According to reports West Ham are 99% sure that they will be making the loan of Craig Dawson permanent in the summer. Dawson joining the club on a season-long loan from Watford and it has been revealed that the club have the obligation to buy him if he makes a certain amount of appearances.
Dawson has turned out to be a remarkable bit of business by West Ham. When he was signed there was a sense of disappointment from fans. After the sale of Grady Diangana the club promised fans that a ‘big name’ defender would join the club.
Failed moves for many centrebacks like James Tarkowski, Duje Caleta-Car and Jonathan Tah to name a few left the club scrambling in the loan market. Dawson was available after suffering his second successive relegation and was picked up in order to provide depth to the squad.
West Ham found themselves a gem when they signed Craig Dawson on loan and now it seems he is likely to stay for the long-term.
Since being given a chance against Southampton, Dawson has not looked back. Despite not being rated at first, Dawson proved that he could still contribute at the highest level in England. The defender went on to form a solid partnership with Angelo Ogbonna before his injury and is now doing the same with Issa Diop.
The 30-year-old has made some crucial contributions to the team. The defender has helped the team keep five clean sheets in ten Premier League matches, as well as scoring two goals. With defenders being able to play on well into their thirties, Dawson could become a key member of the West Ham team of the future.
The only doubt in Dawson becomes a fully-fledged Hammer would be is he picked up a bad injury between now and the number of required games he needs to play. The last thing the club would want would be to sign another injury-prone player.
It is believed that the price for Dawson would be as little as £3 million. Considering the club were willing to spend upwards of £40 million on a defender last summer, Dawson is a bargain. It would also allow the club to strengthen other areas such as the attack which is very thin.