"Messi may want to move to Milton Keynes and play for £200!"

Having already signed five new players - Hiram Boateng, Brennan Dickenson, Joe Mason, Jordan Bowery and Regan Poole - and re-signed last season's top-scorer Kieran Agard, the Dons boss said he is not fully sure yet whether more new faces will appear before the window closes.

However, citing one of the world's biggest names in football, Tisdale says never to rule out the unexpected.

"Sometimes you get an opportunity and you have to be ready to take that. Messi may want to relocate to Milton Keynes and he wants to play for £200 a week – you have to be ready for everything!"

When asked whether more players will be coming in, he added: "Possibly – you never know. The phone is always on. The end of the window is always the toughest because you always have to be ready in case someone comes in for one of your players with an offer you cannot refuse. There could be one or two more."

Having added new faces to his squad, Dons look immediately short of strikers, with just Agard and Bowery recognised centre forwards on the books, while Chuks Aneke's future continues to hang in the balance.

Tisdale admitted signing strikers is a universal problem in the game, and deals are often done late in the day, but so far he is happy with his signings this summer.

He said: "It's really hard to sign centre forwards. Those deals happen so late. It's symptomatic of the whole industry. Other than that, the whole process has been smooth.

"Our department has done so well in identifying the right player at the right age, right price and right geography. We've got a good, athletic and energised squad."