Craig Dawson transfer explained with Leicester City target in talks to cancel Wolves contract
Leicester City will not be able to sign defender Craig Dawson even if he cancels his Wolves contract and becomes a free agent.
City have space to sign an unattached player after filling just 24 spots in their permitted 25-man Premier League squad for the second half of the season. But despite deadline-day talks over a swap deal for Dawson and Conor Coady, the veteran centre-back won’t be heading to the King Power Stadium.
That’s despite the possibility that he leaves Wolves. Talks are ongoing over the cancellation of Dawson’s contract after he was left out of Vitor Pereira’s 25-man squad, despite the club only filling 22 places and with space to register three more homegrown players.
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After signing centre-backs Emmanuel Agbadou and Nasser Djiga in the January window, Dawson has fallen well down the pecking order. Pereira has told him as such.
“I gave the information in advance to the club that if we bring in another centre-back, I will not have space for Craig in the squad,” Pereira said. “This is something that I spoke with the club (about) for a long time.
“I had a conversation with the player and I respect the player a lot, and I respect his career. But his profile is not the profile that I'm looking to build the team around.”
However, should his contract be cancelled, City would not be able to sign him. The only free agents City are eligible to sign would be those who were out of contract prior to the end of the January transfer window.
Dawson would still be able to move to a country where the winter window remains open. There’s a few countries around Europe where that is the case, but it’s also true for the US. The window is open for MLS clubs until mid-April as they prepare for the 2025 season.
