Sunderland should capitalise on impressive AFC Wimbledon form this summer: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Alex Bass has been in remarkable form for AFC Wimbledon this season, with the Sunderland loanee proving himself to be a reliable presence between the sticks for the Dons.

The 25-year-old leads the way for clean sheets in the fourth tier this campaign, with 15 shutouts from his 39 appearances as the south London side cling on to the final playoff spot in the fourth tier as it stands.

Bass’ influence on a backline that was regularly leaking goals last season can’t be understated, leaving parent club Sunderland with a big decision to make over his future in the summer.

Alex Bass 23/24 AFC Wimbledon season

Bass is yet to make a league appearance for the Black Cats after making the move to the Stadium of Light from Portsmouth in the summer of 2022, having come up through the ranks at Fratton Park.

A promising loan spell at Bradford City proceeded his move to the north east, where he kept six clean sheets in his 21 appearances for the Bantams in his first regular spell of first-team football.

Two appearances in cup competitions is all the shot-stopper has to show for his time on Wearside as it stands, with regular goaltender Anthony Patterson proving a cut above in the joust for the number one shirt.

That has meant Bass has been forced to look elsewhere for first team opportunities, and would have jumped at the opportunity to cement his reputation has a consistent shot-stopper when Wimbledon came calling last summer.

He has more than made up for lost time in his reintroduction to regular football, with three clean sheets in his first four matches of the season proving to be a taste of what was to come over a promising 23/24 campaign.

With 15 clean sheets so far, Bass leads the likes of Christy Pym and Ben Hinchliffe in terms of shutouts, with the duo alongside Barrow’s Paul Farman in keeping the opposition scoreless 13 times.

Bass ranks sixth in terms of saves this season, with his 101 repelled shots only being bettered by goalkeepers of sides near the bottom of the division, with the exception of league-leader Corey Addai of Crawley Town, who has kept 134 efforts at bay.

A save percentage of 71.6% once again ranks among the best performers in the division, and with so many years on his side the 25-year-old is only likely to improve as time goes on.

His form this season has helped the Dons to sit seventh in the League Two table on 57 points as it stands, although there are five points within three points of them in the hunt for the final playoff place in the fourth division.

Alex Bass Sunderland contract information

After proving himself to be a worthy goalkeeper in the fourth tier, there is no question that Bass could make the move up to League One in the next campaign, but performing so consistently at Championship level may still be out the question at this stage in his career.

With fellow understudy Nathan Bishop happy to warm the bench at the Stadium of Light as it stands, the likelihood of either of the pair dislodging Patterson to become a regular as the last line of defence looks unlikely.

The Black Cats’ stopper [pictured] has let in just 45 goals in 38 matches in the second tier this campaign - keeping nine clean sheets in the process - while his 102 shots rank among the top six in the division.

Bass’ contract on Wearside is said to run until the summer of 2025, although the club do have an option of extending for a further year if they wish to do so.

But with this potentially being the final summer where they could command a fee for their shot-stopper, the Mackems may be tempted to offload the 25-year-old during the off-season to free up some of the budget to bolster other areas of the squad.

It is a deal that could suit all parties, with Bass likely to generate interest from a number of League One clubs after his stellar showing this year, although a move to a fellow Championship side looks out of the question at this moment in time, with a year to prove himself in the third tier best for his development.

Leyton Orient were said to be interested in his services last summer before Sol Brynn made the move to the O's from Middlesbrough, and could be set to renew their hunt once their temporary number one returns to the Riverside in the summer.

He may have to take a pay cut to get the deal done, but in terms of long-term progression the goalkeeper would be making the right decision to move on this summer, with Sunderland unlikely to stand in his way.