Wrexham AFC urged to raid MK Dons for player despite play-off controversy | OneFootball

MK Dons striker Max Dean has found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week.

The former Leeds United youngster is set to miss the first three games of the 2024/25 season after picking up a ban for stamping on Crawley Town's Jay Williams.

The incident occurred early in the first half during the second leg of MK Dons' League Two play-off semi-final in which they were beaten 5-1, but wasn't spotted by the match officials at the time.

Dean was later punished by the Football Association after the stamp was picked up by TV cameras.

Despite the controversy, newly-promoted Wrexham are being urged to bring the 20-year-old to North Wales to boost their chances of success in League One.

It comes as the Dons remaining in League Two could make it harder for them to keep hold of the striker this summer after he scored 15 league goals and provided five assists during the 2023/24 season.

Sports writer says Phil Parkinson should sign Dean

Daily Mail sports writer Nathan Salt, who presents Wrexham fan podcast Rob Ryan Red, has called on Phil Parkinson to raid the Dons for their star striker.

Speaking on the latest episode of the podcast, he said: “I'm banging the drum for Max Dean. We got pelters and our mentions were getting flooded when he had an absolute stinker for MK Dons.

“But I’m stamping on my shout like he did on that Crawley player. I'm saying get him in the building and I don't care. You can keep @ing me and telling me how horrendous that shout was.

“He's going to end up going to Peterborough or somewhere like that, where they’ve got a great development record, or Birmingham. I think Wrexham should be in the mix for him.”

Salt believes that the Red Dragons should be looking more generally to attract young players to help improve their squad.

It follows the success of Aston Villa youngster Louie Barry's loan spell at Stockport County last season.

He said: “You’ve got to be clever because we need players who are going to be under the age cap.

“Is there a player that can get round it such as a 19 or 20-year-old, who maybe isn’t a regular starter but can provide a bit of competition to James Jones or to George Evans.”

Dean's potential Wrexham transfer a no-brainer

Dean's performances for MK Dons have turned him into hot property after finishing the season as their top scorer, with 19 goals in all competitions.

He was named as the club's Young Player of the Year and his 0.94 goals and assists per 90 minutes were the second-best in League Two, according to data from FBREF.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, the striker has reportedly attracted interest from French top-flight team Toulouse, who made an offer of around £1 million in January.

Wrexham themselves are in need of a player who can complement talisman Paul Mullin up front.

They're hardly short of money either, with Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at the helm.

The club's turnover nearly doubled to £10.5m between 2022 and 2023, according to their latest set of accounts.

Wrexham are no strangers to signing controversial figures

While Dean's conduct will be used as an argument why Wrexham shouldn't sign him, they're hardly strangers to signing controversial figures.

There are few players in the EFL who receive as hostile a reception as former Republic of Ireland international James McClean from opposition supporters.

The left-wing-back recently signed a new one-year deal at the club, where he has fast become a cult hero.

However, he has also attracted negative headlines after being filmed singing along with an anti-monarchy chant during promotion celebrations at the Racecourse.

McClean and star striker PAul Mullin also landed themselves in hot water after sharing an Instagram post expressing their distaste for King Charles while they partied in Las Vegas.

Despite the controversy surrounding him, the 35-year-old is highly valued by Parkinson and has been hailed for his high fitness levels, which belie his age.

He's also good at channeling hatred and turning it round into some excellent performances.

The story of McClean's time at Wrexham is one which demonstrates why signing a contentious figure like Dean doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Overall, the reasons why Parkinson should move to secure the youngster's signature would appear to outweigh any negatives.

By striking while the iron is hot for the lethal forward, it would definitely make a statement about their intentions for next season after achieving back-to-back promotions.

If Dean were to replicate his form for MK Dons at the Racecourse, then memories of that unpleasant stamp would soon fade into the past.