West Ham reject first Wolves bid for wantaway star as David Moyes confirms club’s stance

David Moyes has revealed that Wolves have failed in their first attempt to sign Craig Dawson from West Ham United in the January transfer window.

Dawson was a target for Wolves over the summer, but West Ham would not allow the defender to leave. He has gone on to play 13 times in all competitions so far this season. His recent gametime has been particularly good.

Indeed, Moyes has kept Dawson on for 90 minutes in each of West Ham’s games since the World Cup. Despite this, the former West Brom centre-back is still keen on a move away.

As was the case in the summer, Dawson is being tipped to head back to the Midlands. Wolves are interested in taking him to Molineux in order to boost their own chances of escaping relegation.

Recent reports have indicated that the 32-year-old is “desperate” to leave West Ham, where his contract is due to last until the end of the season.

It would be questionable if West Ham were to accept an offer that would see Dawson playing for one of their relegation-threatened rivals, though.

And in turn, Moyes has now confirmed that West Ham have rejected an offer from Wolves.

He told reporters at a press conference on Friday: “We’ve had an offer from Wolves. We’ve not accepted it and that’s as much as I can tell you.”

West Ham trying to prevent Craig Dawson departure for Wolves

It is not clear how much Wolves had put on the table for Dawson. West Ham might not be able to ask for too high a fee due to his age and contract status.

But they are holding a firm stance over Dawson’s future while they battle for their top-flight survival.

Now, it is over to Wolves to decide whether to make another attempt for Dawson or not. They will have to be careful not to bid too high for a player who they could sign for free in six months’ time.

Right now, though, their main focus is on doing whatever it takes to remain in the Premier League.

Wolves have already been active in the January transfer window. They have signed Matheus Cunha from Atletico Madrid, and look set to add midfield duo, Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes.

Pablo Sarabia of Paris Saint-Germain is also firmly in their sights. Hence, if they can add those three players to the existing arrival of Cunha, the next area to focus on will be defence.

Dawson is not necessarily the most glamorous option, but has proven himself as a reliable operator at Premier League level.

West Ham know all about his importance, having used him 87 times since he joined in October 2020. Therefore, they would be reluctant to let Wolves benefit from his dependability.

After 18 games apiece, West Ham are only one point above Wolves in the Premier League table. Only goal difference is keeping Moyes’ side out of the relegation zone as things stand.

Thus, it makes little sense to do business between the two clubs. Yet Wolves have been trying their luck and could potentially come back in.

There have even been suggestions that they could be eyeing a double raid on West Ham.