Blackburn Rovers told to make move for 35-year old in £0 deal - he'd bring something that is "severely lacking" | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers were recently linked with Craig Dawson, who is currently without a club

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Blackburn Rovers have started the 2025/26 Championship campaign in desperate fashion, and some late transfer window activity has left fans frustrated.

The East Lancashire outfit have lost three of their opening four second-tier games as well as crashing out of the EFL Cup at the hands of League One side Bradford City.

Unrest creeps around Ewood Park following such a poor opening to the season, which is backdropped by a worrying summer.

After finishing seventh and just outside the play-off places last term, the recent transfer window was viewed as one that provided Blackburn with the opportunity to make the final few tweaks to mount a successful top six challenge.

However, that wasn’t to be. Established starters such as Dominic Hyam, Lewis Travis and Callum Brittain all exited the club to join other Championship sides, with a stark lack of second-tier experience now evident in Valerien Ismael’s squad - Hyam's late exit on deadline day without a direct replacement coming in was seen as a real concern too.

It was recently reported by journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon that Blackburn are looking for short-term additions to their back-line, and are keen on bringing experienced defender Craig Dawson to Ewood Park on a free transfer.

Blackburn Rovers backed to capture Craig Dawson on free transfer

Football League World’s Blackburn Rovers fan pundit, Simon Middlehurst, believes that snapping up the 35-year-old would be a smart move for the Ewood Park outfit.

“I think it'd be quite a smart addition,” Simon told FLW.

“It'd be a senior player in quite a young squad.

“We've signed quite a few young players this transfer window, and also the centre-half area is somewhere we're severely lacking experience.

“Sean McLoughlin is going to serve a suspension after the international break following his sending off against Norwich.

"Scott Wharton and Hayden Carter are both players who've had their injury issues these last couple of seasons, so you never really know how many games they're going to play consistently.

“So, beyond that, there isn't really anyone else we've got to play at centre-half, so I think it'd be a really good addition.

"He's a player of experience, he's played at the top level, he knows the game, and he'd be another senior head in a young squad.”

Craig Dawson would be an excellent coup for Blackburn Rovers and Valerien Ismael

Dawson has operated out of the Premier League for the vast majority of the last decade and could arguably continue playing in the top-flight.

Pace was never one of the defender’s key attributes, but his brain, presence and awareness are as sharp as ever. Making 15 appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers last term proved that he still has what it takes to perform at the highest level and therefore would be an excellent option for Blackburn.

As mentioned by Simon, Rovers’ current defensive options are uninspiring, and fitness is also a question for players such as Wharton and Carter. It feels like the East Lancashire outfit don’t have much to lose by taking Dawson on a free transfer.

It would likely be of little expense to them and would help fill the gap left by Hyam. Furthermore, his experience would naturally rub off on the other players in Ismael’s backline, which would therefore raise the team’s overall performance.

Blackburn’s beginning to the season has been worrying and if that form carries on, they could slip further and further into a potential relegation battle.