AFC Wimbledon worries should be eased by new approach in 2024 transfer strategy: View | OneFootball

AFC Wimbledon have not been too busy so far this summer, and while fans are beginning to get worried, here is why that should not be

Highlights

The summer transfer window is now a month old and while many AFC Wimbledon fans have expected a multitude of arrivals, that has not quite happened just yet.

Naturally then, frustrations are rising that while other teams in the league are bolstering their squads ahead of 2024/25, Wimbledon are not, and many fans feel that the non-activity regarding transfer business is making the club weaker and weaker as the season draws near.

However, a silently-adopted new transfer strategy for 2024 may in fact help make the club stronger in the long term, while also allowing the Dons to still compete in the short term.

AFC Wimbledon 2024 transfer strategy: Why it is a sign of progress

The new strategy is seemingly focused on making sure that, no matter the value they bring to the squad, a player should be moved on for cash, if possible, and that a signing should only be if they tick all the boxes, and not just for the sake of squad depth.

This is a sign of progress because in previous seasons there was a reluctance to cash in on players. Instead, many have run down their contracts and left for nothing before being replaced by signings that were typically picked up on free transfers, meaning the market for replacements was often quite tight, and the quality was not always there.

That is why it has been refreshing to see the likes of Jack Currie and Josh Davison leave Wimbledon for fees – with the Dons making the most of the interest in them.

And while a replacement for Currie has not currently been signed, the Dons forward line is perhaps looking stronger without Davison in it, as his departure has likely helped fund the arrivals of Matty Stevens and Joe Pigott, as well as the renewal of Omar Bugiel's contract.

The strategy this summer has also likely been helped by the rebuilding that took place in 2023, as much of the work last summer has meant that, apart from the need for new left-backs and new goalkeepers, the squad has a good quality of depth in nearly every position.

This is yet another sign of progress as the club would have, in the past, been chasing their tails each summer trying to fill out the squad due to a high turnover of players. This high turnover was typically brought on by short contract lengths and multiple loans from clubs up and down the EFL.

However, now there is a majority of players at the club on multi-year, permanent contracts, with a minimal amount of loans typically arriving only in positions where either the club are being priced out of quality signings, or for simple squad depth.

Why lack of 2024 summer signings should not be a worry

Worries about a lack of summer business are understandable but, simply put, the Dons have enough quality depth within the squad to, firstly, be able to compete, but also be able to remain sustainable as a fan-owned club.

In an ideal world, a team would likely have three players available for every position, but with the financial restraints placed upon the club, with no rich owner to pump money into the team, the Dons have had to make minimal signings, but with each signing made, the maximum amount of research has been put in to ensure they are ready to deliver.

In addition to these minimal signings with maximum research, there has also seemingly been a drive to bring youth into the team as much as possible, with Morgan Williams and Aron Sasu gaining minutes last term. And with those two seemingly now ready for first-team action, along with Ethan Sutcliffe, there is no real need to sign players that will block the pathways of these young stars that many fans will be excited to see in and around the first team.

The 2023 summer transfer window has laid a lot of the foundations for the squad in 2024, with eight of the 12 signings made last summer still at the club, with those that are not around being loanees that returned to their parent clubs, or players that departed on free transfers.

This has meant that, so far, in 2024, the Dons have only had to recruit six players so far to fill out positions that were in need of depth, with central midfield being the position that has been filled the most with the arrivals of Callum Maycock and Alistair Smith.

This number is only likely to climb to around 10 by the end of the window, with the only positions that need filling being left-back and goalkeeper, with the odd addition of a defender and another winger perhaps also being needed, and shows that the adoption of a new approach for 2024 has meant the Dons are less scatter-gunned in their approach, and spend their time looking at their transfer business to make sure it is both cost-effective, but equally impactful when the season begins.

So while fans can worry that other clubs are buying up all the quality in the league and seemingly making the strides that many thought the Dons would do with their cash influx thanks to sales over the past season and during this summer, there should be some attention paid to the pragmatic approach that the club are taking, as it could be superbly beneficial in the short term, and in the long run too.