Johnnie Jackson hoping AFC Wimbledon ‘more protected’ against losing star men in January transfer window
After AFC Wimbledon defeated Doncaster on Saturday to move up to fourth place in League Two, manager Johnnie Jackson stated that his team is focused on safeguarding and improving their most valuable assets in the forthcoming January transfer window.
Matty Stevens’ header gave the Dons a 1-0 victory at Plough Lane, putting them above the visitors on goal differential and solidly in the running for promotion.
Stevens, a summer acquisition, shot to the top of the division’s scoring list and is the kind of player Jackson hopes to keep and improve upon in the next year.
“I tried to sign Matty last January,” said Jackson. “Around that time we had a conversation but he ended up going to Walsall on loan, so we missed out at that stage. But obviously he knew that I liked him as a player. We spoke in the summer and it was the right time and the right fit.
“I’m not surprised that he’s scoring. We have to play to his strengths and the team is set up well to get the best out of him. He’s not just a scorer – he gives the team a lot.
He holds the ball up, competes aerially and does the hard graft out of possession.”
Jackson said he was aware of the club’s financial realities, but his team had a plan that should allow them to come out of the window in a position to continue competing for promotion.
Jackson said: “We’ll probably do business in January, obviously we’re not flush, we’re not one of the big hitters in terms of our budget and what we can do as a club, but we will do some business.
It will be prudent and it will be within our means, but we have some ideas about what we want to do.
“I’d like to keep our best players, but you never know. I think we’ve structured it this summer in a way where we’re a little bit more protected in January – but it’s difficult to know. I don’t anticipate losing any of my players. I want to come out of the window stronger.
“One thing that I’ve never been able to do with the club is come out of a January window stronger than we’ve started it, so that’s the aim.”
