Ex-MK Dons striker targeted by former Dons manager in Premier League

Southampton could be in for an MK Dons reunion as Russell Martin reportedly has set his sights on signing a former team-mate.

West Brom’s top-scorer Brandon Thomas-Asante has emerged as a target for the Saints following their promotion to the Premier League. The 25-year-old left MK Dons following their promotion from League Two in 2019, but his loan spell at Oxford City in January of the same year meant he never played in the same team as Russell Martin, who moved to Stadium MK in the same month.

The striker has finished the last two seasons as the Baggies’ top-scorer in the Championship, having moved to the Hawthorns in August 2022, but with Saints’ Che Adams set for a move to Italian side Torino, Martin is keen to move swiftly to find a replacement, and has, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, targeted Thomas-Asante.

Martin remains keen to sign Matt O’Riley too - another former Dons player. The Danish midfielder has been targeted by several clubs since his move to Celtic, and after a record-breaking season in Glasgow, could be subject to a big money bid from the south coast club to bring him to St Mary’s.