West Ham United close in on Dan-Axel Zagadou, Craig Dawson headed for January exit
David Moyes must have come to an agreement to let West Ham defender Craig Dawson leave in January as the club close in on signing Dan-Axel Zagadou.
RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins reported on Twitter Tuesday (13 September) that the Hammers are in pole position for the former Dortmund defender having offered him a four-year contract.
Having already brought in Thilo Kehrer to cover for Nayef Aguerd’s lay-off the centre-back picture would otherwise look set.
But with fan-favourite Dawson coming close to an exit before deadline day due to a personal preference to move closer to his family in the Midlands it appears that has been shifted to the winter window.
The Irons aimed for the signing of Southampton’s Jan Bednarek before Aston Villa pushed ahead on deadline day and secured the Pole on loan, putting an end to Dawson’s hopes of moving to Villa Park while also forcing Moyes to prevent a transfer to Wolves.
But with free agent Zagadou still available past the close of the transfer window after leaving the Signal Iduna Park at the expiry of his contract following a number of injury problems West Ham appear to be pressing to find a solution.
At 23 and highly rated aside from his fitness issues there are obvious reasons to swap him in for the 32-year-old Dawson who is into the last year of his contract.
In an ideal world the manager would probably like to stick with his proven performer though and extend his contract, but there seems to be little prospect of that happening so plans are being made.
On one hand it is attempting to do the decent thing by Dawson who was crucial to the success of last season when all other options were getting injured, but clearly the club are going to put their interests first so they are trying to preempt another scramble next summer when he leaves for free.
Whether it will still be Wolves who sign him is unclear, but seems likely in that Conor Coady is doing well on loan at Everton and is unlikely to return.
So amid postponements and the World Cup it appears that the chances to see former Watford and West Brom man Dawson in a Hammers shirt are fast running out, but ones to watch the young Frenchman Zagadou might be set to begin soon.