AFC Wimbledon chief’s transfer revelation about Bristol City after deadline day bids

AFC Wimbedon chairman Mick Buckley says there was ‘no intention’ to sell left-back Jack Currie to Bristol City in the January transfer window. Currie was a reported target for the Robins, and now it has emerged how close they were to signing him.

The 21-year-old was on their transfer shortlist, and after receiving money for Antoine Semenyo, wanted to reinvest the fee back in to the squad in several positions. Harry Cornick and Anis Mehmeti joined from Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers for undisclosed fees, but City were unable to agree a deal on Currie. It was reported that City made four offers for the left-back, but in each attempt they were knocked back.

It is understood that Wimbledon wanted Currie to remain until the end of the season, whilst City wanted him at the club straight away, to avoid losing him to another club. Academy graduate Cameron Pring is currently the first choice left-back and he will have had competition from Currie.

“There was no plan or intent to sell Jack Currie in this window,” said Buckley to the Dons’ official club website. “That said, based on the scouts watching us in recent weeks, it was probable we would get an offer.”

Bristol City and Wimbledon have conducted several transfer dealings this season. Ryley Towler was loaned to the South London club for the season and had been enjoying his time there, but Portsmouth came in for him and he was recalled and sold for an undisclosed fee. Wimbledon received Sam Pearson on loan in January, and the striker has made one substitute appearance since joining.

In the latter stages of the window, it is said by Buckley that Brian Tinnion, the technical director at City, met Wimbledon’s head of recruitment Jamie Johnson, and Craig Cope, their head of football operations at the High Performance Centre. It would have been to discuss Sam Pearson, as well as any other loan deals, but it then emerged to them that Currie was on City’s transfer shortlist for January.

It was on the same day of the 3-0 win over West Brom that City made their first offer for Currie to Wimbldon. Several offers followed on deadline day, but none were successful as Wimbledon, who had already sold Ayoub Assal, wanted to retain their key player. Currie not moving to City had a detrimental effect on Jay Dasilva’s proposed move to Coventry, which could now happen in the summer with the former Chelsea defender out of contract and is currently second fiddle to Pring.

Despite not naming Currie, Nigel Pearson admitted last week that he could return for the transfer targets he could not secure in January. His contract expires in the summer of 2024, and they also have the option to extend his deal by another 12-months, which is similar to what City did with Semenyo.

A majority of City’s signings in Pearson’s tenure have come from the lower divisions or on free transfers. George Tanner joined from Cambridge United, Rob Atkinson and Mark Sykes both made the move from Oxford United and in the summer Kane Wilson on a free transfer joined from League Two champions Forest Green Rovers.

“Bristol City have an excellent track record in developing young players,” admitted Buckley who was praiseful of the set-up at the High Performance Centre. They have loaned us two excellent players. I guess the writing was on the wall – quite literally – when Jamie Johnson and Craig Cope went to Bristol City to meet the technical director and there on the wall were his recruitment targets – including Jack’s name!

“Bristol didn’t actually make an offer until the last Saturday of the window. Several offers and conversations followed but Bristol City couldn’t get to our valuation, and they weren’t willing to loan him back to us for the rest of the season.”