Watford Opinion: Why the Hornets should go all out to sign Craig Dawson?

According to a report from The Sun, Watford will battle Burnley for the signing of West Brom defender Craig Dawson, who wants a return to the Premier League. They say that the Hornets want to sign a British defender and have identified Dawson as a summer transfer target.

West Brom will play in the Championship again next season after failing to clinch promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs. With no Premier League football for another campaign, Craig Dawson is gearing to leave the Hawthorns.

The 29-year-old, who has been on the books of West Brom since 2010, has one year left on his contract and the Baggies are expected to cash in to help new boss Slaven Bilic rebuild the squad. That being said, Watford should do everything to beat Burnley for Dawson’s signature.

Watford did manage an 11th place finish last season in the Premier League but things could have been much better for the club given the manner in which they started the 2018/19. Their abysmal form in the business end of the season, coupled with the trouncing at the hands of Manchester City in the FA Cup finals should have left Javi Gracia very disappointed.

The Hornets will again look to push for a place in the top-half and preferably compete for the Europa League. And for that to happen, Gracia needs to bring in quality players over the summer to beef up his squad. One area the Spanish tactician should definitely address is the defence.

Watford have released central defender Miguel Britos and Tommie Hoban, while Sebastian Prodl has hinted he’ll leave Vicarage Road this summer due to a lack of opportunities last season. Prodl’s potential departure will further lighten Gracia’s options in defence. That’s where the signing of Craig Dawson would make sense for the Hornets.

Dawson, who did well in the Premier League during his time with West Brom, is a versatile defender, adept at operating at right-back. A tall and strong central defender, the 29-year-old has solid top-flight experience and is capable enough of playing regularly for a mid-table Premier League side.

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Due to his experience, leadership qualities and versatility, Dawson could be such an inspired addition to the Watford ranks.

Verdict

Dawson has proven to be a consistent and reliable defender for West Brom over the last few years and there’s no reason why he cannot replicate that for Watford.