Burnley Quoted £20m Fee For Top Defensive Target: Is He Worth The Outlay?

West Bromwich Albion have slapped a £20 million price-tag on Craig Dawson after signing his potential replacement in the shape of Kyle Bartley. The English defender has asked to leave the club this summer with Burnley, in particular, keen on his services.

The Baggies, on the other hand, have recently officiated the signing of Kyle Bartley, who has been brought as the replacement for Dawson, in the likely scenario that he leaves the club. The defender has joined the club on a £4m deal from Swansea City. Thus, the West Midlands outfit looks to have boosted their defence following the departure of Jonny Evans to Leicester and can finally afford to sell another star defender in Craig Dawson if their valuation is met.

That being said, the Baggies want no less than £20m for the 27-year-old defender, who has been a part of their team since 2010. Barring a loan spell at Bolton Wanderers, Dawson has been an integral part of West Brom’s defence, especially in recent seasons.

In fact, the former Rochdale defender is one of the oldest serving players at the club having made over 150 Premier League appearances, 103 of which have come in the past three seasons.

Burnley, on the other hand, are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements ahead of the start of the new campaign. Even though the central defensive duo of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee have been more than solid, head coach Sean Dyche has only one reliable alternative in the shape of Kevin Long in that area of the pitch.

Therefore, the addition of a top quality centre-back is imperative as they aim to carry on the momentum generated in the English top flight next season. And many believe Craig Dawson could be the perfect man to revitalize their defensive department.

As iterated earlier, the West Brom defender has ample amount of experience in English football, which can be very useful considering the fact the Clarets lack depth in defence. Additionally, the 27-year-old has also been in good touch of late, despite seeing his team getting relegated at the end of last season.

However, as the Sun reports, Burnley have cooled down their interest in Dawson after West Brom quoted £20m for their prized defensive asset. The British tabloid further claims that the defender also wants around £75,000 per week as salary – a figure that can be rendered a bit too expensive for a club like Burnley. Thus, the Clarets should definitely shift their attention to other alternatives available in the market.

Stats Courtesy: Whoscored