Wolves have been boosted in their efforts to sign West Ham defender Craig Dawson, with Pete O'Rourke claiming a January move could be on the cards.

The Lowdown: Deadline day Dawson

Wanderers have been famed for being a strong defensive outfit in recent years but they did lose Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly during the summer.

It has left Bruno Lage with fewer options than he had before and Dawson was one player who was strongly linked with making a move during the recent transfer window, as a deal collapsed on the final day of the summer.

It looks as though the 32-year-old could still be a target, however, following a new claim.

The Latest: Defender could join in January

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Pete O'Rourke talked up Wolves' chances of signing Dawson in January, due to him wanting to be closer to family:

"I think there’s real potential this move could be rekindled in the January window. The reason that Dawson wanted to leave was for family and personal reasons because he wanted to move closer to his family home.

"It’s something that’s still going to be on his mind and he wants to secure that move back to the Midlands. Obviously, that gives Wolves a huge advantage because they can offer Dawson that."

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The Verdict: Strong short-term signing

While Dawson wouldn't necessarily be an world-class signing for Wolves, he is someone with a wealth of experience who could provide excellent squad depth, pedigree and leadership.

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The defender has made a total of 238 appearances in the Premier League and Jonathan Woodgate has hailed him for being 'so reliable' as a footballer, while his own teammates dubbed him 'unbelievable' last season.

Dawson is out of contract at West Ham at the end of the season and that means Fosun could pick up a bargain in January - it is a deal well worth doing.