Wolves have completed the signing of defender Craig Dawson from West Ham in a £3.3m deal.
Craig Dawson, 32, has returned to the Midlands having spent the majority of his playing career at West Brom before joining West Ham in 2019. He has agreed to join Wolves on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
The centre-back appeared more than 200 times for West Brom before spending two seasons with Watford. He initially joined West Ham on loan in the summer of 2020 before joining permanently in April next year. The 32-year-old played a key role in West Ham’s run to the Europa League semi-finals last season and was named in the Europa League Team of the Season, alongside teammate Declan Rice.
Dawson has become Wolves’ fourth signing under new manager Julen Lopetegui, after the acquisitions of forward Matheus Cunha, midfielder Mario Lemina and winger Pablo Sarabia.
Craig Dawson should help Wolves fight against relegation
Wolves have shown signs of improvement under new boss Julen Lopetegui, and while they are 17th in the table and level on points with 18th-placed Bournemouth, the style of football and organisation in the team is much better than before.
After reinforcing the midfield and attacking positions, Lopetegui switched his focus to addressing his team’s defensive problems. 30 goals conceded in 20 games is a concern for a club fighting against relegation, with the Wanderers losing 3-0 to Man City on Sunday.
Beyond first-choice centre-back pairing Max Kilman and Nathan Collins, Wolves have lacked quality depth. Toti Gomes is prone to errors and cannot be relied upon. Thus, it was vital for the club to bring in someone experienced to boost their chances of survival, and Craig Dawson is a brilliant signing.
Dawson has tons of top-flight experience and his know-how could help a team like Wolves crying out for some inspiration. The 32-year-old is a no-nonsense, strong and full-hearted defender with leadership and organisation skills, someone who would not only push the two youngsters Kilman and Collins but also improve their bench strength.
Wolves have suffered mightily after letting Conor Coady leave for Everton last summer, and in Dawson, they could find a player more than capable of filling the void created by their former skipper. At a reported £3.3m fee, Wolves have got a solid and proven defender in Dawson who has the qualities to make a massive impact at Molineux.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.