After his one-month contract with AFC Wimbledon expired, Romaine Sawyers decided not to extend it. As a result, Johnnie Jackson and his backroom staff will probably be figuring out who the best candidate is to approach for a signing. However, the Dons don’t have to search far or wide because they could approach Kasey McAteer’s former loanee, Leicester City, and sign their newest young attacking-midfield prodigy, Michael Golding, on a loan until the end of the current campaign.
Michael Golding should replace Romaine Sawyers at AFC Wimbledon
Many Cardiff City supporters were disappointed to learn on Monday that Sawyers, a 33-year-old who had established himself as Jackson’s ideal attacking midfielder, was departing the team when his brief contract expired.
Given that his skill level is unquestionably beyond League Two, as seen by his anticipated move to League One Bristol Rovers, Dons supporters may have grown a little too accustomed to his exquisite style of play and amazing passing range.
However, given that Golding and Saywers are in radically different stages of their playing careers, why should Golding be the one to take Saywers’ place?
The Leicester emerging star is undoubtedly talented enough to replace Omar Bugiel, who often fills the gap behind the two attackers in Johnnie Jackson’s 3-4-1-2 configuration, in the offensive midfield position that Sawyers has held effectively over the past month.
He has vision beyond his years and can spot fantastic passes and surprising attempts on goal, which adds up to some impressive stats for a dynamic midfielder who is almost 19 years old and far from reaching his full potential.
He also has great ability with the ball at his feet and has shown in academy games for Chelsea, and current club Leicester, that he can get himself out of a tight spot and produce the unexpected, which, for an attacking midfielder, is crucial and makes them almost unplayable at times.
Sawyers was particularly great at showing all the above elements of his game while at Brentford and Walsall, and so if Wimbledon can replicate that with a much younger player, then they will not feel the loss of the former West Bromwich Albion midfielder too much.
What should also be added, however, and perhaps the primary reason why Jackson should try and target Golding is the fact that he actually came through the AFC Wimbledon youth ranks before heading off and joining Chelsea at a young age.
Therefore, he is known to academy staff at the club, and shouldn’t;’t have a problem settling back into things, which can so often be a problem with young players arriving on loan midway through a season.
Similar success to Kasey McAteer could result from Michael Golding’s signing.
The fact that AFC Wimbledon nurtured the last Foxes young player they loaned them is another reason they should be trusted with a loan of the Leicester player, who only joined the East Midlands team last summer.
McAteer was a relative unknown when he first joined the football scene in January 2023. Although his on-paper numbers from the second half of the 2022–2023 season did not blow everyone away, his performances demonstrated steady and intriguing growth.
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