Martin calls for reinvestment after selling key players

Russell Martin says money has to be reinvested into his playing squad after some high-profile sales this season.

Richard Keogh today joins Alex Gilbey, Callum Brittain and Rhys Healey is being sold by the club this season, with a fee agreed with Luton for Sam Nombe at the end of the season too.

News of Keogh's departure was confirmed after the 3-0 defeat away at Peterborough - a club known for buying players and selling them on for a profit to help the club's finances to tick over.

It's a model Dons have barely scratched at since their inception, but has become more prominent since the coronavirus pandemic effectively halted any cash flow into the club, highlighted by the sale of the four players so far.

It's an approach so far though which has left Dons thin on the ground with injuries also hampering Martin's team selections, and after losing to Darren Ferguson's side, the Dons boss has urged the club to dip into those funds to help him invest in new players.

"We've sold some very good players, who have been excellent, to help us survive and carry on as a club," he said. "It's not something a lot of clubs have been able to do. The way we play and do things makes us attractive.

"We now have to make sure we reinvest that into players we can produce and improve and get to perform for us, and help us get to where we want to be. And if they don't, help us earn money to go and get the next ones. That's where we are, that's the reality."

While he confirmed on Friday the plan to sign Warren O'Hora from Brighton in the coming days, Martin also admitted the move for Keogh came as a surprise for everyone - including Keogh himself. But given the shock timing of the move, plans to replace the 34-year-old have been brought forward and a new defender has to be high on the agenda.

Martin continued: "We have a succession plan, we're having to do it a lot earlier than we thought because we expected to have Richard for another two years, but it's up to us to go and get the right players to improve us on the pitch."