Wolverhampton Wanderers made a ‘really smart signing’ bringing in defender Craig Dawson in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Second time lucky

The Molineux outfit confirmed the arrival of the 32-year-old veteran from Premier League rivals West Ham United last month as he put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

The Midlands-based side tried to land the centre-back last summer after it was revealed that he wanted to be nearer to his family, but the deal was called off by the Irons due to them missing out on Southampton’s Jan Bednarek.

Julen Lopetegui, however, has now successfully managed to secure the club’s target and, he’s already made an instant impact having scored on his debut in the 3-0 victory over Liverpool last weekend.

The Latest: Jones’ praise

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones heaped praise on Wolves for landing Dawson on their second attempt, claiming that the deal had been in the pipeline for an extended period. He said:

“It’s a really smart signing and one I’m really pleased for him about; it’s been a long time on the cards.

"There had been a lot of talk around the transfer and West Ham didn’t want him to go but understood that there were personal reasons he might want to go.”

The Verdict: Instant impact

Dawson has been dubbed a ‘leader’ by journalist Josh Bunting, and after just one outing, it’s easy to see how he’s going to strengthen the backline at Wolves.

During his debut, the 6 foot 2 star made an astonishing seven clearances and came out on top in two aerial duels, which majorly contributed to his new side keeping a clean sheet against Jurgen Klopp’s men (WhoScored).

The Rochdale-born talent, who’s represented by Unique Sports Group, also has an eye for goal having posted 69 contributions throughout his career, making him an impact player at both ends of the pitch.

Dawson will be a key man when it comes to steering the Wanderers away from danger, and the chances of the club avoiding relegation will now be much higher with his know-how at the heart of the defence.