The transfer window slammed shut just eight days ago but Vitor Pereira is still making decisions over the long-term futures of some players.
Pablo Sarabia sees his contract expire in June 2025 alongside fellow first-team stars Nelson Semedo and Craig Dawson.
While Vitor Pereira could renew the deals of Semedo and Sarabia, the Portuguese is already in talks to terminate Dawson’s Wolves contract.
Pereira doesn’t see the 34-year-old as part of his plans, having used him for just 86 minutes in the Premier League since arriving at Molineux in December.
The Englishman was included in a proposed swap deal by Wolves last week which could have seen Conor Coady make a sensational return to Molineux.
Leicester rejected Wolves’ bid for Coady and now the window is shut, Dawson is in a tricky position.
Why Craig Dawson can’t join another English club till the summer
As reported by The Athletic, because the 34-year-old was registered in the Wolves squad before the window shut last Monday, he’s unable to sign for another English club till the summer.
Sasa Kalajdzic has also been left out of the Premier League squad but as he’s still recovering from an ACL injury, his situation is less complicated than Dawson’s.
Talks of his contract being terminated place the veteran in a difficult situation. Since most of the transfer windows across the globe are shut, clubs abroad are unable to snap up the defender, unless he joins the MLS.
Dawson, who turns 35 in March, would have to wait till the summer to begin exploring his options and this isn’t ideal considering his £45k-a-week wages.
It means he could spend the rest of the season not playing any football whatsoever, with the club essentially letting his contract run down.
Dawson’s age limits summer transfer options
Even if he’s forced to wait till the summer to find a new club, there are no guarantees he’ll be offered a contract by a Premier League club.
David Moyes is a huge fan of Dawson, having worked with the defender during his time at West Ham but the Everton boss could want to build a younger team, and the Wolves stalwart is the opposite.
Age is certainly a limiting factor for the experienced defender, as he’s physically declined a lot in the past few years and perhaps can’t play ninety minutes every week.
The fact a relegation-battling team wants rid of Dawson suggests a Premier League move could be hard to come by, although a newly prompted club could offer him a short-term contract.
Ultimately, a one or two-year deal is the best he can hope for now as he enters the twilight years of a successful career in the top flight.