AFC Wimbledon earned Ipswich Town payday from Wycombe Wanderers bargain | OneFootball

The Dons certainly made the right, and profitable, choice when picking up Ali Al-Hamadi from Wycombe

When AFC Wimbledon lost the small but talismanic figure of Ayoub Assal, there were wonders among the fanbase at how the club would go about filling the void.

They would find that replacement in the form of a 20-year-old Iraqi forward by the name of Ali Al-Hamadi, who by that point had not even notched 20 professional starts in men's football.

But no matter how detracting that stat may have looked, Johnnie Jackson and the Dons certainly made the correct decision when choosing to sign the striker, in more than just the playing sense.

Ali Al-Hamadi lived up to the promising hype at AFC Wimbledon

As stated, the forward, who was born in Maysan, Iraq, but brought up in Toxteth, Liverpool, had not really made much of an imprint on the professional game up to that point.

He had come through the youth ranks of both Tranmere Rovers and Swansea City, but for the latter, who he joined on a scholarship deal in 2018 and would later go on to sign a one-year pro deal with, he did not make a single senior appearance.

It would not be until he joined Wycombe Wanderers, following a trial, that he would find his first minutes in men's professional football out on loan with Bromley, who played in the National League at the time. He would then add to the ten appearances gained there with nine in the Chairboys' first team.

So, with this seemingly minimal experience at senior level, it was quite a surprise to many AFC Wimbledon fans when Jackson spoke about the young forward in such a promising tone when unveiling his new signing.

Speaking to the club website, Jackson said, "Ali is a young and hungry centre-forward who has been in and around the first-team all season at Wycombe.

"He could’ve stayed there but he has showed a desire to get out and show what he can do by playing regular football.

"He’s strong, he’s energetic and he gives us a threat in behind. He suits what we’re trying to do and gives us another option.”

As has been the case for many years, Wimbledon fans are always open to being proven wrong and the case was no different when it came to Al-Hamadi.

It did not take him long to display just how brilliant a coup Jackson and his backroom team had pulled off when, on his debut, he would show the direct running and strong attacking playstyle that would soon become a normal feature of matchdays at Plough Lane.

Through his two half-seasons, the Iraqi international became a forward that defenders feared playing against and justified Jackson's initial claims.

By the time Ipswich Town came calling, he had racked up 48 appearances and scored 27 goals in a yellow and blue shirt, and thanks to his skillset, which was far beyond League Two by that point, had endeared himself to the Dons faithful as one of the best to pull on the shirt in modern times.

Ali Al-Hamadi proved to be very profitable for the Dons

When the now 22-year-old signed for the Dons for a nominal fee from Wycombe, there were not many in the stands that felt he would go on to become the club's record departure and potentially be one of League Two's biggest sales too.

But such was the immense talent that he showed at Plough Lane, that became the case when he moved to Ipswich 12 months ago.

The Dons shifted their approach to looking to turn profits on signings rather than letting star players run down their deals around five years ago, but by that stage, had only seen one transfer peak above the million-pound barrier, which was reportedly the price that Ayoub Assal was prized away from the Dons for.

So, when Ipswich came calling with an initial fee believed to be just over the million-pound mark, but with add-ons that reportedly take it closer to two million, despite sentiments, Al-Hamadi had to go as the Dons needed the cash.

With the unique feature of being fan-owned and self-funding, with a newly-built stadium that has debt needing to be financed, money like that cannot be sniffed at, and to be able to turn such a huge profit on a small investment was seen as not only brilliant at the time, but progress from where the club had been only a few seasons prior.

So, despite his stock having fallen slightly since making the move to Suffolk, the transfer of Al-Hamadi to Wimbledon was a brilliant bargain made by those in charge at the Dons, and the payday gained from Ipswich just one year later, proved that the club not only made the correct choice when choosing him as a cheap replacement for a star talent but the most profitable one too.