AFC Wimbledon, Crystal Palace evidence should open up transfer opportunities this summer | OneFootball

Owen Goodman's success with AFC Wimbledon last season should mean the club can now be trusted with loans from higher up the pyramid

AFC Wimbledon and Owen Goodman's triumphs last season, while not widely talked about, were one of the best EFL success stories.

And despite the young goalkeeper not receiving a full call-up to the England U21 Euros squad for this summer, his growth, which has helped him be considered for international honours, has shown that Wimbledon should be one of the locations at the top of the lists of many top-tier sides.

And with that, some exciting opportunities for loan dealings should open up to help the Dons survive the drop in their first season back in League One.

Owen Goodman's development has shown Wimbledon is a great club for young talent

Goodman arrived at Wimbledon having had a shaky campaign with Colchester United in his first full season of mens football, and while Colchester fans teased Dons fans in the comments of his announcement on social media, nobody then could have known just how brilliant he would become.

While the opening months of the season were certainly shaky, by the time the winter period rolled around, Goodman had become an ever-present in goal and was beginning to show his capabilities in between the sticks.

A long run of clean sheets over Christmas and New Year saw even more plaudits come his way and began to prove that, with enough time, care, attention and, most importantly, patience, a fantastic player could be unearthed, especially by the correct coaches. And by the time season's end came, another clean sheet at Wembley, a golden glove and, most importantly, promotion proved that Goodman's loan spell was a huge success.

And it is that great blend of coaches that Wimbledon have, with goalkeeping coach Ashley "Bayzo" Bayes being particularly helpful in Goodman's case, being just one alongside Dave Reddington, who has great connections with Crystal Palace, Terry Skiverton and, of course, the main man, Johnnie Jackson.

All seemed aligned in the desire to put faith into youth if they feel their mentality is right, and at a time when it feels only a select few youngsters are breaking into top sides in the UK, to have a club with the type of setup that Wimbledon have demonstrates why they should now be entrusted with growing and blossoming some of the best academy prospects that English clubs have to offer.

It is not just Goodman who has proved that they are an excellent club for loan talent, as some of the Dons' own academy breakthroughs have gone on to have careers that are young, but impressive. The likes of Jack Rudoni and Jack Currie have been recent examples that shone in the first team, but many others have gone on to establish themselves as potential breakout stars, with the likes of Leon Chiwome and Spike Brits being just two from a long list.

AFC Wimbledon should have pick of the loan market this summer

So with the success of Goodman last season, plus a history of the club being a perfect team for youth development, it should go without saying that Johnnie Jackson's side should be awash with some of the best talents needing to be tested in the third tier.

There will obviously need to be a blend of experience in their, but there are equally some talents that should be high up on the enquiry list that Johnnie Jackson, Director of Football Craig Cope and Chief Scout Andy Thorn have built ahead of this window.

Names that have already been bounced around by a few Dons fans online include Danny Imray and Jemiah Umolu of Crystal Palace. Imray, who enjoyed a fantastic season on loan at local rivals Bromley, should be much higher on the list now, considering not only would the Dons offer a step-up in development, being a league higher than the Ravens, but also the fact that the Dons do desperately need a right-sided wing-back following the departure of Josh Neufville.

Umolu, meanwhile, is one of many talents that has shone in Premier League 2 this season, with the 19-year-old being the joint top scorer for the Eagles in the competition this season, alongside Ademola Ola-Adebomi, who has been previously linked to the Dons too.

Other names that could be on the shopping list for Jackson include Kaelan Casey of West Ham, who is closing in on a breakthrough at the Hammers, but would need a full season of mens football to ensure that happens, as well as Harvey Araujo of Fulham, who had a spell with Chesterfield last season and could look to continue to better his development back in the capital, closer to his parent club.

And these are just selections from London-based sides who have some burgeoning talent. More Northern-based sides could send their youngsters to the capital if they believe in the fact that Wimbledon is one of the best clubs at the moment to develop talent, and with that, the Dons could very well be a team stacked full of wonderkids.

Of course, nobody really knows the approach that Wimbledon, or in fact the top tier sides discussed, will have when it comes to loaning players, but if the development of Owen Goodman, and others before him, is anything to go by, then the loan market could see some of its very best talents playing League One football in yellow and blue next season.