A busy weekend ahead for MK Dons in the transfer market

Liam Manning said work has been ongoing behind-the-scenes to get signings lined up before Monday night’s transfer deadline

Though MK Dons are not in a position to complete any transfers yet, Liam Manning is predicting a hectic weekend before the window closes on Monday night.

Last week, Manning said he hoped to have three or four more players added to his squad before Saturday’s game at fellow promotion hopefuls Wycombe Wanderers, but aside from the signature of Connor Wickham last Friday, Dons have not added to their ranks since.

But the Dons head coach said he was in confident mood about some of the transfers he has lined up to be completed ahead of Monday night’s 11pm deadline.

“There is a lot going on, nothing in time for Saturday, but we're a lot closer than we were a few days ago,” he said. “I'm pleased with the progress we've made with the deals and I'm expecting a busy weekend.

“We’re really close on a few, it would have been great to have a couple for the game, but we can’t overlook the lads we’ve already got here. I’m confident we’ll get things done sooner rather than later.

“I know we're working as hard as we can to get things done. It's really important to get the right people without wasting. We haven't got endless pots of money to work with so it's important when we get permanent signings in they're for the good of the club.

“I hope we’ll get it all done before the deadline, and in an ideal world we’d have it all done by now but that’s the industry, with so many moving parts. We’ll push to get our business done as soon as possible.”

Following their recalls to Luton and Blackpool respectively, Peter Kioso and Ethan Robson remain on Dons’ radar for potential returns, but with only one loan spot left available at the club, Manning said any further decisions on either making a comeback will hinge heavily on how they are utilised at the weekend.

He added: “We're going to see what happens. Not a lot can happen before tomorrow, and we've only got one loan spot. We'll see what the landscape looks like after the games tomorrow. That'll be key - people have been called back for different reasons and they might change after tomorrow.”