Pundit issues emphatic verdict on West Ham signing Craig Dawson replacement after update

Paul Robinson has claimed West Ham must replace Craig Dawson if he decides to leave the club in January.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs and England number one said David Moyes’s side have been short in central defence in recent times.

Dawson, 32, is out of contract at the London Stadium at the end of next June.

Football Insider revealed on 28 October that Dawson wants to leave West Ham in January after a £4million summer move collapsed at the eleventh hour.

The centre-back is understood to want a move to a Midlands club due to personal family reasons.

When asked by Football Insider if David Moyes would be chasing a replacement for Dawson should he exit, Robinson said: “West Ham cannot afford to lose Dawson and not replace him.

“They would have to get someone else in.

“Michael Keane is a name that is always mentioned with West Ham but I think there is question marks over him. He is error prone at times.

“I played with him at Burnley and he is a confidence player. He is extremely good when he is confident. When he is questioning himself, he does not excel. He is a top player when he’s at his best. He is not at his best right now though.

“If West Ham lose Craig Dawson, they need a replacement. They have been light in that area at times. Is Keane the answer? I’m not sure.”

In other news, a pundit fears West Ham could suffer a ‘huge’ double blow in January after source’s Declan Rice update.