AFC Wimbledon must sort contract issue ahead of promotion chase | OneFootball

Josh Neufville has shown himself to be a key member of Johnnie Jackson's team, and now the Dons need to tie him down for the next few seasons

Josh Neufville has been a revelation on AFC Wimbledon's right flank this season, with the winger's blistering pace being a cause for concern for League Two defences.

With the Dons in the fight for promotion to League One, there is no time like the present for Johnnie Jackson to tie down one of his key squad members.

So, with the summer window coming closer every day and Neufville's contract up at the end of the campaign, according to Transfermarkt, Jackson and his transfer team should reward the young starlet with a new deal.

AFC Wimbledon need to tie Josh Neufville down to a new deal after recent performances

Neufville has become a revelation on the right over the past 12 months, following Jackson's decision to shift to his favoured wing-back system.

With the defensive reliance placed upon the back three behind him, the 23-year-old – a winger by trade – has employed a barnstorming style of attacking, getting high and wide in the opposition half, always available for a long ball over the top or a switch in play to open up a tight defense, but recently he's shown a more complete side to his wing-back play.

Stretching all the way back to Wimbledon's first round cup tie away to MK Dons in early November, Neufville has been scaring both League Two's best defences at the top of the league and the more tortured ones down toward the relegation zone, always finding a way to torment them with his pace.

But in the Dons' most recent triumph over Tranmere Rovers, Neufville showed the end product that has at times been missing – scoring an excellent solo effort to break the deadlock in a tightly contested affair – and impressed defensively as well.

He now knows when to drop off and step up in situations when Wimbledon find themselves on the back foot, and does not overcommit when attempting tackles and interceptions, as he as at times in the past.

AFC Wimbledon, Johnnie Jackson would find it tough to replace Josh Neufville

If Jackson and Wimbledon were not able to agree new terms with Neufville at the end of this campaign, when his deal is up at the club, it would be a pretty tough job trying to find a player who offers what he does.

Not only does he bring unbelievable pace down the right-hand side with the occasional goal or assist when one of his dangerous crosses finds a teammate or when he successfully cuts inside and hits the target, but he also brings consistency.

He has played more minutes than any other outfield player this term – highlighting that consistency as well as the physicality and fitness to keep producing marauding performances on the right.

The Dons' backup for Neufville, Hus Biler, does not look ready to step up to fill his boots and shopping for a replacement would likely be costly.

The 23-year-old's form has been huge in the chase for promotion and he looks set to remain an important player as Wimbledon push on in the second half of the campaign. He has shown that he more than deserves a new deal and a chance to play in League One for the Dons, should they get there.

With big games coming up for the South London club, it might be a clever idea for Jackson to sort out the future of his right-hand side and ensure Wimbledon keep hold of one of their most consistent, underrated, and dangerous threats this season.