Lyle Taylor’s emotional return could mean the AFC Wimbledon record-breaker departs: View
Davison’s performance at AFC Wimbledon has been underwhelming, with inconsistent scoring and failure to meet expectations.
The potential return of fan favorite Lyle Taylor could put Davison’s position as the club’s fifth-choice striker at risk.
Wimbledon may be looking to offload Davison due to his low goal output and potential departure with Taylor’s arrival.
Josh Davison is AFC Wimbledon’s record signing, having cost the club an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2022.
However, the former Charlton Athletic and Swindon Town striker has failed to meet expectations at Plough Lane, scoring infrequently and not providing the service that a typical number nine should for any team.
Davison must be very concerned to see Wimbledon linked with an emotional reunion with fan favourite and former striker Lyle Taylor, as the arrival of the Montserrat international could mean the end of the record-breaking striker.
Lyle Taylor joins AFC Wimbledon
Taylor has long been expected to return to AFC Wimbledon in the twilight of his career, having left the club on a free transfer to Charlton Athletic six years prior.
The forward was a fan favourite at the Dons’ former home, Kingsmeadow, where he scored 23 goals in the 2015/16 League Two promotion campaign and continued to score well in League One, helping the club avoid relegation .
He has now been linked with a return to Wimbledon following his release from Nottingham Forest, where he had not played a game in over two years.
The South London Press reported earlier this week that Taylor is open to returning if Wimbledon and manager Johnnie Jackson want to sign the 34-year-old.
There have been no announcements from AFC Wimbledon, but with the Dons expected to prepare for a promotion push next season, there should be some movement soon.
Josh Davison’s disappointing Dons stint
The fact that Taylor is rumored to be open to a move should raise red flags for Davison, as if the former returns, Davison will most likely become the Dons’ fifth-choice striker, something he never imagined when he signed for the club in 2022.
If Taylor returns, he will most likely fall behind Omar Bugiel, Josh Kelly, new signing Matty Stevens, and, of course, Taylor in Jackson’s preferred two-striker system.
Davison joined the Dons for an undisclosed fee in the same summer that Johnnie Jackson took over as manager after Mark Robinson, breaking the club’s most expensive transfer record, which still stands two years later.
In his first season as Wimbledon’s number nine, he appeared in 45 matches across all competitions, 37 of which were in the league.
He was most prolific in League Two, scoring nine goals and providing four assists. He also scored once in the EFL Trophy, but for a record-breaking signing up front, it is fair to say that his return was somewhat disappointing.
This season has been even more difficult for Davison and his Dons supporters, as he has only scored four goals in 36 league appearances, with his next highest total being three in the EFL Trophy.
Davison’s starts and average minutes per game have also decreased as a result of his low goal output; in the previous season, with the likes of Ali Al-Hamadi, Omar Bugiel, and Josh Kelly all favoured ahead of him, he only started 11 times and averaged 31 minutes per game, according to Sofascore.
Lyle Taylor’s return may spell the end for Josh Davison at Wimbledon.
If Taylor does return to Wimbledon for an emotional reunion, Davison’s time at AFC Wimbledon will almost certainly come to an end.
Given that he is theDons’ record signing, there is a possibility that Wimbledon will want to recoup some of themoney that was spent on him in the
Furthermore, the 24-year-old’scurrentcontract with the club will not last long, as the club rarely awards contracts longer than three years. Given his lackluster performances in yellow and blue, it is not entirely surprising that Wimbledon would want to move him on.
It will, however, be a somewhat disappointing conclusion to what could have been a highly promising signing.
Wimbledon fans across the board became enamored with Davison’s determination and work rate whenever he appeared on the pitch at the start of his Dons career, and they believed that as long as he scored a consistent number of goals, he would always have their backing.
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