‘Really going to struggle’: Club expert thinks one Wolves player is now on borrowed time

Wolves enjoyed a busy January transfer window. In addition to selling Mario Lemina, the Old Gold made three first-team signings.

Vitor Pereira bid farewell to Lemina, who joined Galatasaray, but welcomed a trio of new players.

Wolves signed Emmanuel Agbadou from Stade Reims at the beginning of the window and welcomed Nasser Djiga and Marshall Munetsi on Deadline Day.

Having signed two new centre-backs, one player has been warned his days at Molineux could be numbered.

Craig Dawson sent Wolves warning

Craig Dawson looks to be the Wolves player who will benefit least from Agbadou and Djiga’s arrivals.

The 34-year-old has less than six months left on his contract, and, after falling out of favour, is unlikely to be offered a renewal.

The ex-West Ham man hasn’t featured in the Premier League this year, and the Express and Star’s Liam Keen thinks he will ‘really struggle’ to get back in Pereira’s plans.

“With everyone fit, Dawson may struggle to get back into the squad in the next few weeks and months, particularly with everyone available,” he said on the E&S Podcast.

Keen added: “I think he’s been a very good servant for Wolves since he arrived. He did have a few very difficult games at the back end of Gary O’Neil’s reign.

“[…] He’s clearly not the kind of defender Pereira is depending upon on. He’s gone with Santi Bueno ahead of him, Doc’s obviously been playing, and now they’ve made two centre-back signings in January, and Toti Gomes is back from injury too, so it seems like Dawson is really going to struggle.”

An ominous prediction for the Rochdale-born defender, who has only been at Molineux for 13 months.

Free agency looms

Although a swap deal involving Dawson and Conor Coady was rumoured, an agreement in the winter window was never reached, meaning Wolves missed their last chance to get something in return for the 34-year-old.

Set to become a free agent at the end of the season, Dawson is eligible to negotiate a pre-contract with clubs overseas now; however, having spent his entire career in England, it seems unlikely the defender will move abroad now.

Way past his prime and facing limited opportunities with Wolves, Dawson will find it difficult to find another Premier League side interested in taking him. It is for this reason that the defender’s future could lie in the Championship.

Perhaps finishing his career at West Brom, the club he left in 2019, would be the defender’s preference and an opportunity that could become a reality, especially if the Baggies fail to win promotion this season.