West Ham manager David Moyes believes there is a "good chance" that Craig Dawson will be made a permanent signing before the end of the season, according to The Evening Standard.

The 30-year-old defender scored his fourth goal of the season on Monday night to help his side to a 2-0 victory over Leeds.

This continued his impressive run of form in recent months. Having signed on a season-long loan from Watford in October, Dawson failed to feature for the Hammers before Christmas. 

However, he has not missed a minute of West Ham's last 12 league games, and has established himself as a key player in the team's push to secure a European spot this season.

The East London club do have an option to buy the centre-back outright at the end of the current campaign, however Moyes has also revealed there is a clause based on appearances that would trigger a permanent transfer - believed to be worth £2m.

He said: "There is a good chance although we are not quite there yet but there is a clause in it after a certain amount of games and we are getting very close to that number.

"His performances, his attitude and determination are certainly worthy of that anyway."

GIVEMESPORT's Sam Brookes says...

When Dawson arrived, it seemed that he may be limited to a bit-part role at the club but he has become far more important to the team.

His three league goals prove that he can be a serious threat from set-pieces. Meanwhile, in his primary role as a defender, he has been a reliable presence for Moyes, with the side keeping six clean sheets in his 12 top-flight appearances this term. His average match rating of 6.94 highlights how he has been a consistent performer in 2021.

West Ham have only lost twice in the league since Dawson was brought into the team, and have a 17% higher win rate when he plays. This has allowed them to climb into fifth place, just two points adrift of the top four with a game in hand on the sides above them.

Given his influence on the team, it is no surprise that Dawson is likely to be offered a permanent contract in the near future.