Great News: Top player in AFC Wimbledon’s dream XI have agreed to a deal for next season.

The Dons will be looking to mount a playoff charge, and with some sensible transfers made, 24/25 could be exciting

The transfer window will quickly be upon us, with multiple teams in League Two preparing to make their squads as competitive as they can before the start of the 2024/25 season in August.

AFC Wimbledon have already made two signings ahead of the window officially opening, with striker Matty Stevens joining on a free transfer from Forest Green Rovers and Myles Hippolyte agreeing the same type of move from Stockport County.

The Dons finished in 10th last season and while that is certainly positive progress from seasons prior, the form tailing off at the end of the season meant that the Dons dropped out of play-off contention completely.

They will want to make sure that there is no tailing off of form this time round, so with that in mind, here is an ideal XI that Johnnie Jackson should employ, with four new, realistic signings.

Owen Goodman

AFC Wimbledon’s goalkeeping department is going through a full rebuild this summer, and with reports from South London Press suggesting that the Dons will be looking at a young starting keeper and an experienced backup, Owen Goodman could be that young starter.

The 20-year-old would be joining the club on loan from Crystal Palace and has already got League Two experience, having spent last season on loan at Colchester United. In 38 games at the Essex club, the 6ft 4in keeper remained a shining light in a struggling side, and while only keeping four clean sheets, he made 3.0 saves per game, and over the entire season, made 113, according to Sofascore.

This would not be the first move between Palace and Wimbledon in recent times, as the Dons took Kofi Balmer and John Kymani-Gordon on loan from January last season, with Balmer impressing in defence, and Kymani-Gordon proving himself to be an exciting option off of the bench. Given that these two loanees were widely considered a success, surely a loan move to the Dons for Goodman would not only benefit him but would provide Wimbledon with an excellent first-choice goalkeeper.

Sam Beckwith

Left-back is certainly another position that Wimbledon are going to need recruits in this summer, with Jack Currie likely to depart the Dons if interest from previous summers arises again, and backup left-back Lee Brown still yet to renew at the club, despite the former Portsmouth man having been offered a new deal.

So if both do not remain at the club, then there will be a new left-back on the scene, and that should be Sam Beckwith. The Luton Town academy graduate has spent the past two seasons at Maidenhead United in the National League, and despite the club never finishing in a lofty position, the young Englishman has earmarked himself as one of the most promising defenders outside the EFL.

It was recently announced that he would be leaving the Magpies following his turning down of a new contract at the club, so he will be available for next to nothing, but with the Bedford-born defender proving to be a shining star, he will not be short of suitors. However, given his four goals and four assists this season, the Dons cannot go wrong with making him their new left back in 24/25.

Ryan Johnson

Moving away from potential signings for now, the first centre-back in Jackson’s 4-4-2 setup next season should still be Ryan Johnson, playing on his favoured left side.

The former Stockport County man formed part of an excellent partnership with Joe Lewis at the back for the Dons last season, and was typically the ‘bruiser’ out of the pair, winning his headers and tackles, and normally leaving his opponent in a pile on the floor wondering what had hit them.

Jackson would be extremely foolish to replace Johnson, as, aside from his critical mistake against MK Dons in January of last season, and the subsequent injury layoff, he was solid option, and the side always looked weaker without him.

Joe Lewis

Joining Johnson in a dream XI next season should still be his partner in crime, Joe Lewis. Another former Stockport man, the Welsh-born centre-back played on the right side of the pairing, and became a firm fan-favourite, gaining particular notoriety for his short shorts.

The 24-year-old was the ball-player out of him and Johnson, and was a composed figure on the ball, and when tasked with defending, he would use his impressive pace to keep track of fast opponents and was rarely caught out.

Again, Jackson would be extremely mindless to look to replace the defender, and therefore he should stay in the starting XI and form part of a solid backline to help Wimbledon toward their promotion aspirations.

Isaac Ogundere

Isaac Ogundere has been knocking on the door of the first team for two seasons now, and for good reason, with the academy graduate always proving to be a brilliant option at right-back when selected.

His defensive abilities far outweigh his attacking capabilities but with a pre-season where Jackson begins to place faith into him as a starting right-back, he could begin to really hone his craft and become a reliable favourite for the manager.

It would almost feel like a waste of money to bring in a starting right-back to feature over Ogundere when it could be spent bringing in outstanding acquisitions elsewhere. He has shown he has quality already, and given he is still at such a young age, there is plenty of time for him to eliminate mistakes from his game and cement himself as a starter.

Myles Hippolyte

Hippolyte would have very likely featured on this list as a potential option for Jackson to sign had the Dons not confirmed his signature three weeks ago.

Another former Stockport man, Hippolyte is an ideal attacking option for the Dons, not just with his output, but also with what he can provide for the team elsewhere. He was brilliant for Stockport in their promotion season from the National League, scoring four goals in 20 appearances and generally being a crucial creative output, but in Stockport’s first season back in the EFL, he was even better.

Scoring five goals and assisting teammates three times across a mighty 55 appearances, not only proves that he is a wideman that can provide goals and assists for Wimbledon next season, but also shows that he is capable of playing a great number of games, something which Wimbledon’s options from the wing have not been able to offer in 23/24.

As well as this, he has just been part of a title-winning squad, and, if Wimbledon harbour serious promotion wishes for next season, then Hippolyte should be the man on the left for the Dons.

Isaac Hutchinson

Wimbledon should be one of many clubs attempting to sign Isaac Hutchinson this summer, with the midfielder being the perfect partner for Jake Reeves in midfield.

The 24-year-old has had a fantastic season at the Saddlers, appearing 46 times this season, and providing a combined 23 goals and assists for the Midlands-based side, meaning he will more than likely be a target for multiple sides in League Two and above this summer, given his clear quality.

Goals being provided from midfield was something that was lacking in Jackson’s team last season, and Hutchinson would more than provide that. He has been linked to the Dons before, when he first broke through at Southend United, and could fancy a move back down south, so if Jackson and Wimbledon want to find a creative midfielder suited to their pressing game, then Hutchinson may well be their man.

Jake Reeves

Jake Reeves was brilliant as captain last season. He should, and arguably will, play the exact same role next season in Jackson’s starting XI.

He became a voice on the pitch that the Dons were severely lacking and finally made the side look a lot more cohesive than it had done in the seasons prior when Reeves had not been at the club.

He will need to add to his goals and assists from midfield if the Dons want to become a powerhouse in the league, but if talking about a dream setup, all Reeves has to do is continue to be the same player he was last season, and that should provide the Dons with an excellent basis in midfield.

The right-wing should be a position that is locked out this summer, with Dons already possessing the likes of James Tilley and Josh Neufville, both of whom have deputised in the position over the past season. However, despite bright starts to both of their Wimbledon careers, their seasons on the whole were far from great.

For that reason alone, the Dons should perhaps look to start afresh, and would not do any harm by signing Omari Patrick up. The winger is available on a free after rejecting a new deal from Sutton United following their relegation. He is locally based and in the Boxing Day clash between the sides in 23/24, he proved to be a problem for the Wimbledon defence.

While, naturally, he is a left-winger, Jackson likes to always swap his wingers over throughout matches, so he could easily be deployed on the left or right and be a thorn in the side of many opposition defences next season. Add to his versatility and locality the fact that he has also been part of a promotion-winning squad too, and you have an ideal winger for an ideal starting XI next season.

Omar Bugiel

Similar to Jake Reeves, all Omar Bugiel realisitcally needs to do next season is continue to be the striker he was for the Dons throughout 23/24. He performed excellently alongside Ali Al-Hamadi, forming a partnership that provided many goals for the departed Iraqi, and when Ali-Hamadi did move on to Ipswich, he became the Dons’ main source of goals.

He became the focal point in attack for Jackson’s team, and between January and the end of the season, he scored … goals, and was arguably the reason why the Dons stayed in the play-off race for as long as they did.

He will likely need to work on his partnership with Josh Kelly over pre-season, but if talking about a dream setup, like Reeves, all he should do is continue to be the same all-round threat up top that he was throughout 23/24, and Wimbledon will have a very formidable strikeforce.

Josh Kelly

For many, Josh Kelly has disappointed since arriving at the club from Solihull Moors in the winter transfer window. Arguably, he had a huge amount of pressure placed upon him, with many viewing him as the ‘Al-Hamadi replacement’ for Wimbledon, and that seemed to weigh on him, resulting in his long run without scoring, which finally ended in the penultimate game of the season against Tranmere Rovers.

However, for some, there appeared to be a player in there that, provided with the correct service, could thrive in League Two. He has pace to burn, and, from his time at both Solihull and Maidenhead United, he has a natural striker’s instinct when it comes to finishing.

As mentioned with Bugiel above, he will need to work on partnerships with players throughout the team so that they know the correct type of service that he wants, but if fans want to see a perfect strikeforce in full flow next season, then it should be Kelly joining Bugiel up front to help bang in the goals to fire Wimbledon towards promotion.