Wrexham are reportedly interested in signing a player who David Moyes was very fond of during their time together at West Ham as they look to strengthen their squad
Ryan Reynolds, owner of Wrexham
Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham have been linked with another Premier League star
(Image: Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Wrexham have been linked with a move for Premier League star Craig Dawson, who David Moyes was disappointed to lose during his tenure at West Ham.
The Red Dragons are reportedly keen on signing the Wolves centre-back, whose contract is set to expire at the end of June. Dawson had previously engaged in talks with Wolves to terminate his contract back in February.
It followed manager Vitor Pereira's decision to exclude him from his 25-man Premier League squad. Preliminary discussions were also held with Leicester regarding a potential swap deal involving Conor Coady.
No agreement was reached at that time, and now Wrexham are rumoured to be considering bringing Dawson to the Racecourse Ground after their recent promotion to the Championship. However, the North Wales club, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, face competition from Championship rivals Derby, as reported by The Sun.
The 35-year-old defender moved to Wolves from West Ham for £3.3million in January 2023. His then-manager Moyes was hesitant to let him leave, given his crucial role in the Hammers' revival under the Scotsman.
However, an agreement was reached allowing him to be closer to his family in the North-West of England. Moyes later demonstrated there were no hard feelings by sending a heartfelt message to Dawson ahead of a match between Wolves and West Ham in December 2023.
Craig Dawson and David Moyes
Craig Dawson was popular with David Moyes at West Ham and could join Wrexham
He said: "We're looking forward to seeing Craig Dawson again. He played a huge part getting us from where we started to where we are now. He was a big part of it."
"We were disappointed when he left but we knew there were other reasons behind it. He's a good lad and I'm sure he's being a big help for Wolves at the moment."
Dawson's journey from a glass collector in Rochdale to Premier League footballer is nothing short of remarkable. Starting at Radcliffe Borough in 2007, he moved to Rochdale two years later, catching the attention of West Brom and joining them in 2010.
Wolves defender Craig Dawson
Wolves defender Craig Dawson celebrates scoring against Liverpool
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His Premier League debut came in 2011, and after over 200 appearances for the Baggies, he transferred to Watford in 2019, eventually landing at West Ham on loan in 2020.
His former West Brom colleague Liam Ridgewell has lauded Dawson's work ethic after comparing him to James Milner in an interview with The Athletic in February 2021.
He said: "If I had to compare him to any other player in how he conducts himself, it would be James Milner. Just quiet, dedicated and focused on the end goal. I played with Milner at Aston Villa.
"Players like that got on with it, they didn't care about the attention or the limelight, and that was Dawson. You need players like him in the dressing room and I see a real togetherness in that West Ham team."
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson values strong character in his players and may be eyeing up Dawson as part of his squad building strategy after securing their third consecutive promotion.
Speaking in April, he said: "I think that a lot of tough decisions will be made this summer, in terms of who we bring in and how we add to this fantastic squad of lads we've got, but let's see if we can build a squad to compete at that level.
"What we've always tried to do is make sure the culture in the club is right and I think that's key - no superstars, no egos in the dressing room and we've got to try and get that balance right again. You always need extra quality when you go up a level to make sure the right people come into the building."