West Ham United are lining up a 'new' contract offer for defender Craig Dawson, but there's a real twist.

The Lowdown: Dawson plots exit?

The 32-year-old was heavily linked with a summer move away from east London as as he sought to return further north for family reasons.

Dawson was also thought to be on the way to Wolves, but after former Irons defender Issa Diop sealed a move to Fulham, West Ham were unable to find a replacement in time and an exit failed to materialise.

Since then, there have been question marks surrounding the former West Brom star's long-term future under David Moyes, especially since his contract expires in June 2023.

The Latest: West Ham line up 'new' Dawson offer...

Now, according to a club insider, there has been an update on the situation.

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-5/" title="West Ham latest news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]

Claret & Hugh claim West Ham and owners GSBK by extension (Gold, Sullivan, Brady and Kretinsky) are lining up a 'new' contract offer for the defender, but there's a real twist to the saga, as it is also believed he is unlikely to put pen to paper.

A 'key' Hammers source told C&H: “He wants the north long term but we will certainly put a new offer in front of him.”

The Verdict: Worth a try?

While family reasons will be hard to mitigate, West Ham officials can at least showcase their respect and admiration for such a brilliant servant by tabling improved terms.

Dawson has been nothing short of a revelation since his move to the London Stadium, playing 50 matches in all competitions alone for Moyes last season as he played his way into being an indispensable member of the squad (Transfermarkt).

If West Ham in fact cannot convince the Englishman to remain, they will have enjoyed two and a half or even three fine years of Dawson if he elects to run down his deal.