Sweeting wanted more Dons deals doing in the transfer window

Despite bringing seven players to the club in January, Liam Sweeting admitted there were some missed opportunities left out there.

Three deals were done on deadline day, those of Matt Smith, Dan Kemp and Kaine Kesler on loan from Aston Villa, while Theo Corbeanu (loan from Wolves), Jamie Cumming (loan from Chelsea), Conor Coventry (loan from West Ham) and Connor Wickham (free transfer) were drafted in earlier in the month.

The month also saw a lot of departures from Stadium MK too, with no fewer than nine players leaving.

Dons were linked with a move for Irish midfielder Dawson Devoy and defensive recruits too during the window - deals which did not come to fruition.

Speaking to the media after the dust had settled on deadline day, Sweeting, Dons’ Sporting Director admitted to missing out on players he was very keen to get over the line but overall was pleased with the way the testing window panned out.

He said: “We did miss out on players and there were more things we'd have liked to have done, but you're dealing with a January window and people who like to play games. We didn't get absolutely everyone we wanted but we're delighted with who we did get.

“I'm really pleased with what we've done. I found it extremely challenging, the most challenging we've had. We did summer numbers in mid-season. The players managed to maintain focus and the proof has been in the pudding this month. I'm pleased with the players we've got in, and I'm thankful for the players we've had on the pitch.”

Four of the players Dons lost during the window were loan players Max Watters (Cardiff), Ethan Robson (Blackpool), Josh Martin (Norwich) and Peter Kioso (Luton). While Martin only made a handful of appearances during his spell, Sweeting said losing the other three were difficult to take and left Dons in a tough spot for a few games as they sought replacements.

And in the case of Robson and Kioso, Sweeting admitted moves were made to try and bring them back to Stadium MK but eventually they had to look elsewhere.

“The loan recalls were tough,” he added. “It made it really tough for two or three games and I have to thank the players because we were short, there were times we couldn't name a full bench.

“We weren't expecting them, and Max Watters in particular. Their recall period was really short, but Cardiff took advantage of it.

“We tried to leave the door open for (Robson and Kioso) because they were in credit with us, they helped us get into the league position we're in but you have to make that call.

“But you have to find the open doors, and you can't waste time chasing deals that won't go through. As soon as we got the feeling they were no longer open doors, we had to move on.”