Exclusive: Dons striker Taylor would find Championship move hard to resist

By Richard Cawley

richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Lyle Taylor has admitted that any offer of Championship football is likely to lead to him leaving AFC Wimbledon in the summer.

The 27-year-old is out of contract in the summer. He has become a Dons fans’ favourite since joining from Scunthorpe United in July 2015, netting 52 times in 139 matches.

And his situation appears to mirror fellow centre-forward Tom Elliott, who ran down his deal before signing for Millwall in June.

“I’ve got a lot of history with this club over the last three years but my aim is to play football at the very highest level I can possibly play,” said Taylor. “Right now nobody is signing players – regardless of any conversations right now. Until it is in black and white and signed then nothing is possible and everything is possible.

“It is about finishing the season and then we’ll have a conversation with the parties who need to be spoken to and go from there.

“It depends if there is the right opportunity to play in the Championship. The operative word is right. But by the same token, sometimes you have to take a chance.

“I want to play at the highest level, so if the chance is there to play in the Championship then that is kind of that really.

“I’ve had no conversation with Wimbledon – they aren’t in a position to do anything while the club is not safe from going down – and there have been no concrete conversations with another club.

“I couldn’t possibly say Wimbledon want to keep me. I don’t know. That conversation will be had but I’m not arrogant to say they want to keep me, who knows? The manager might want to go in a completely different direction. I genuinely don’t know.

“It is going to be an interesting summer, that’s the right way of putting it.

“My time here has been very good. I’ve enjoyed the three years. There has been a lot of success for me and the club. If it is to be the end of my time at Wimbledon I want to leave it in a better position then when I was brought to the club. That, to me, is in League One. I’ll do everything I can to make that a reality.”

Taylor is not the only Dons player heading into the final months of his deal. The League One club do not publicise the length of terms handed out.

“I don’t think the club can offer contracts without knowing what league they are going to be playing in,” explained Taylor. “That is going to be a problem for a number of the current squad.

“In an ideal world they would be safe and the manager can plan ahead for next season. With that not being the case we have to do what we can to hopefully retain the status as early as possible so the manager can build his team, to know exactly what he has got and wants for next season.

“Obviously this season has been more stressful than the last one. You are always looking over your shoulder and at the moment some of us have got no job next season.

“But you can only do what you can do in terms of making sure the club doesn’t go down, then our job statuses will take care of themselves.

“Hopefully those out of contract will be able to find a new club if nothing is forthcoming at the current club.”

Wimbledon are a point and a place above the drop-zone but Rochdale – 23rd – have four games in hand due to their FA Cup exploits and won 3-0 at Walsall on Tuesday to move to within nine points. Fleetwood Town, immediately below the Dons, have a fixture more to play.

“The problem for those clubs down there is that they haven’t been consistent enough to get those couple of results that takes you properly clear – including us,” said Taylor. “Oxford United [Saturday’s opponents] are four points ahead of us – wouldn’t it be nice if that was one point at 5pm?”