The targets have been set following MK Dons’ automatic promotion

Neil Hart has set MK Dons the challenge of competing for the League One play-off spots next season.

Following the club’s promotion from League Two, finishing a point off title winners Bromley, Paul Warne’s side are expected to to mount a challenge to go back-to-back.

Warne, who has four promotions from the third tier in his managerial career, is set to mount a significant recruitment process this summer to prepare the side for the next level, with the backing of Dons owner Fahad Al Ghanim and CEO Neil Hart.

“We’ll be a bit more ambitious than just survival,” Hart said. “We want to go into League One and be competitive and try and compete at the top part of the league. We want to give ourselves the best chance of being in the top six region. That’s where we want to be.”

Dons secured their League One spot a week before the season came to an end with their win over Tranmere Rovers cementing them in the top three. With the players and staff celebrating in the week after the end of the season, Hart said knowing their fate a week ahead of time gave the club some extra time to begin the planning process for League One.

He said: “It’s great being able to plan so early. We knew our destiny in April, so we’ve been able to plan, we’re clear in what we’re doing.

“Clearly we need to bring in more quality into the squad and there is work to do off the pitch as well. We’ve got to position the club financially to go and compete. That work is underway.”