West Brom are not ready to let go of their star defender Craig Dawson for anything less than £20m this summer, with competition lining up for the 28-year-old. West Ham United have already seen a £12m bid get turned down by the Baggies.
Darren Moore would not mind selling the player since his departure will give Albion enough cash to reinvest in a cheaper option or to find quality options for other positions.
Dawson stood out in the Albion ranks as a key figure in their late push for a survival last season. An unfortunate knee injury kept the defender out of action for almost two months but he returned after the Boxing Day fixture to prove his worth.
He has totalled 180 appearances for the Throstles in his 8 years with the club, 32 of them registered this past season. Albion’s relegation to the Championship should not be the sole judge of Dawson’s true abilities as a top-flight centre-back.
He has plenty of experience and can still make a real difference for any of the Premier League sides. The 6 feet 2 inches man is well composed and has a lot of versatility in him. He is at the best stage of his playing career and should be utilised on a daily basis.
He and Ahmed Hegazi paired up in the centre-half roles to give top sides like Manchester United and Liverpool a run for their money. Dawson has also been capped 15 times for the England U21 side and 3 times for Great Britain.
In the current market when players are being traded off for mammoth transfer fees, the Englishman might very well be worth Albion’s asking price.
Here are a few Premier League sides who should consider making a serious approach.
No talks have progressed over the transfer of Harry Maguire with the player currently serving his country in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Should he quit the Foxes this summer, Claude Puel will have to look for able replacements as soon as possible. Dawson seems as good a candidate as any in the Premier League and could add a different dynamic to the side with his quality game reading abilities.
They never could or ever will be able to replace Virgil van Dijk in the club ranks but are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements. Dawson has the leadership mentality as the Dutchman and can make plays from the back as well.
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Connor Goldson has departed the side with Leon Balogun signed as replacement and Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy in the side as cemented starters. Maybe Dawson could be an upgrade to the trio in terms of his prior experience in the top-flight.
