Pundit salutes ‘absolute revelation’ at West Ham amid £10m+ Craig Dawson claim
Noel Whelan has claimed Thilo Kehrer is “a really good buy” for West Ham but will remain behind Craig Dawson in the pecking order.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, backed the 25-year-old to give veteran pair Angelo Ogbonna and Dawson a “helping hand” as they enter their twilight years.
West Ham completed the signing of Kehrer from Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday (17 August) – with the centre-back penning a four-year deal with the option of a further two years.
The Guardian claim (16 August) the Irons paid a fee of £10.1m plus add-ons for the Germany international.
Kehrer, who made his West Ham debut against Viborg on Thursday (18 August) played 128 times for PSG – including in their Champions League final loss in 2020.
Dawson continues to be sidelined with a quad injury, while Ogbonna has only recently returned from a long-term knee ligament problem.
Whelan insisted “by no means” will Kehrer be a replacement for valuable veterans like Dawson – who he branded an “absolute revelation”.
He told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “They needed a helping hand.
“Kehrer is a really good buy. He’s got great pedigree, he’s a Germany international – and they were light in that area.
“They’re starting to bring in the younger generation.
“Dawson has been an absolute revelation since joining the club – probably the best centre-back in recent years.
“But when people get to certain ages, you need to have that youthful cover to challenge and help these older players out.
“By no means will they be dropping Dawson completely. They need that experience and know-how.
“It’s exciting for West Ham and it was an area they really needed to fill.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire claims West Ham have agreed “deal of the century” amid £12million legal news.