On the latest episode of The West Ham Way podcast, ExWHUemployee provided an update on Craig Dawson’s position at the club.
The 30-year-old defender joined West Ham on a season-long loan over the summer from Championship outfit Watford and has impressed throughout his time with the Hammers.
Dawson has started the last 12 Premier League matches in a row for David Moyes’ men, scoring three goals in the process, including a diving header in the 2-0 win over Leeds United last time out.
His solid displays have led to suggestions that the 30-year-old deserves a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad in some quarters, and ExWHUemployee confirmed that the experienced centre-half is set to make his move to the London Stadium permanent.
He said: “Craig Dawson will become a West Ham player – barring a disastrous injury – because he is due to have his automatic [clause] trigger, when he makes 15 appearances. Now, I think he’s on his 12th appearance now, so that would mean in three games’ time, he should trigger that clause.
“So, from just looking at the fixtures, we play Manchester United this weekend, Arsenal the weekend after, Wolves the weekend after that. So, if he steps on the pitch of all three of those games, officially from the Wolves game onwards, he will be a West Ham player.
“Now, the fee is expected to be £2.2m on top of the £1m loan fee that we paid, so that will be a total of just over £3m, and that’s, like I said, a bargain for a 30-year-old. I mean, by the end of the season, he’ll actually be 31, but it is a bargain, I think. And a two-year deal as well will be triggered for him. So, great signing – wages aren’t high, either.”
TIF Thoughts on Dawson…
Dawson has defied everyone’s expectations this season and was starting to form a formidable partnership with Angelo Ogbonna in the heart of the Hammers defence.
Moyes could still guide the capital club to European football next term, which would be a remarkable achievement for everyone in claret and blue, and Dawson has played a pivotal part in their success this season.
The former West Brom man deserves his permanent move to West Ham given what he has helped achieve, and we hope he continues to his rich vein of form for a little while longer yet.