Danny Mills has backed West Ham to complete the permanent signing of centre back Craig Dawson from Watford in the coming months.

Having joined the Hammers on a season-long loan back in the summer transfer window, Dawson was forced to wait until December to break into David Moyes' side, but has now established himself as a regular feature for the club as they chase a Champions League spot.

It was recently reported that Watford are willing to sell Dawson for a fee in the region of £3million, with West Ham keen to make his move permanent, and Mills believes that would be a sensible deal for all concerned.

Speaking to Football Insider about West Ham's apparent desire to make Dawson's move permanent, Mills said: “He’s done very, very well for them up until now.

“It’s a bargain, isn’t it? Let’s be honest, if you’re paying a loan fee, it will be more than that for a centre-half.

“I know it sounds ridiculous when people are struggling in the world but in footballing terms, it’s a drop in the ocean."

Indeed, it seems that Mills believes a permanent deal for Dawson might not prevent West Ham from doing other business in the summer, and that the centre back could be content with a squad player role at the London Stadium.

Discussing the implications of that potential deal, the former England international went on to add: “Even if they bring in other players why wouldn’t you keep him as a backup, to keep doing what he’s doing.

“David Moyes would have an honest conversation with him and say ‘You’re maybe not going to play every single week, but I still want you around.’ He seems like the sort of character that could accept that.” Dawson spent just one campaign with Watford prior to his loan move to West Ham, making 31 appearances for the Hornets as they were relegated from the Premier League last season. The Verdict It does seem as though this would be a sensible move for West Ham to make. Not for the first time in his career, Dawson has shown this season that he is a more than reliable defender at Premier League level. As a result, given the asking price there supposedly is for Dawson, the Hammers should surely be jumping at the chance to get this done, given they ought to easily be able to afford it. Indeed, you also feel that the chance to remain in the Premier League for some time yet, means that Dawson himself would be more than happy to see this deal completed by the end of the season.