West Ham United endured a disappointing transfer deadline day.

The club have been pursuing a centre-back throughout the window and have met with severe disappointment.

Deals for the likes of James Tarkowski and Duje Caleta-Car fell apart, while they attempted to bring in Fikayo Tomori on loan from Chelsea on Monday.

Sky Sports report that he snubbed the move with just 10 minutes left of the window, though, as he wants to stay at Chelsea and fight for his place under manager Frank Lampard.

The move has led to talks over a separate centre-back, with the Hammers now looking to take advantage of the domestic extension to the deadline; it gives them another 10 days to get deals over the line should they be signed from the EFL. 

Football Insider reports that talks have been initiated between the Irons and Watford to sign Craig Dawson, the central defender.

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The Irons are said to have made progress in talks to bring Dawson to east London and manager David Moyes is desperate to bolster his backline in the coming days.

Dawson has struggled to get into Watford’s team thus far this season and hasn’t played at all in their first four Championship games of the season.

He has a contract that runs until 2023 and is valued at £4.32m by Transfermarkt.

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

This is pretty desperate stuff from West Ham.

The majority of their targets have not been interested in a possible move to the London Stadium and Dawson may be the only player they can actually acquire in this window.

He is 30 and has been relegated twice in his career.

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Usually, one would say that they could do better but this summer window has proved that, actually, they can’t.

That they are left scrabbling around to bring in a veteran player who cannot get a game in the second-tier is a shambles.