AFC Wimbledon: Hibs deal can help protect Dons player targeted in early weeks of 2024/25 - View | OneFootball

Wimbledon's recent capture could be the best signing they make this summer, and for plenty of important reasons

Highlights

AFC Wimbledon announced their latest signing last Thursday, with Riley Harbottle being revealed as the club's sixth permanent addition made this summer.

The former Hibernian defender has joined at the perfect time for the Dons, with the opening fixtures revealing that the defence is perhaps the weakest area of the team still, with four goals conceded across the two games so far this season.

While the entire defensive setup is equally to blame for defensive lapses and mistakes in this early stage of the campaign, Isaac Ogundere is the player who has been targeted by both Colchester United and Bromley so far.

So, while he may be looking at Harbottle's arrival as the dawn of competition for the right-sided centre-half position, to many on the outside, this clever signing is now going to help protect yet another brilliant academy product who is slowly but surely becoming a strong League Two player and a surefire starter

What AFC Wimbledon fans can expect from Riley Harbottle

The 23-year-old centre back has made the move to the Dons following a disappointing spell in Scotland, where, despite being signed as a promising young player, he was never truly given the chance to show his talents.

Many in the EFL knew of his abilities following his brilliant 2022/23 season on loan at Mansfield Town from Nottingham Forest, his boyhood side.

His temporary spell with the club saw him play a crucial role in bringing the Stags so close to the play-offs, with the Nottinghamshire-based side eventually finishing the campaign in an agonising eighth place, only by the virtue of goal difference.

While, naturally, Harbottle was responsible for the defensive side of things during the season, he also contributed offensively, scoring an astonishing six goals from defence, including one against his current employers.

His subsequent move to Hibs following that super season at Mansfield and loan move to Colchester last season did not live up to expectations, with only 13 appearances made across the two spells at the respective clubs, but Wimbledon fans can expect a defender that can certainly do his job defensively as well as also come up with some goals up the other end, something which the Dons' defensive unit did not do enough of last season.

However, especially in this early part of the season, he is going to be crucial for yet another reason, and potentially paint himself as Johnnie Jackson's best addition this window.

Riley Harbottle will help protect and develop Isaac Ogundere

The reason why the club's most recent signing could potentially go on and become the best piece of business that the club do in this summer window is because he can now come in and help protect, and potentially help the development of one of Wimbledon's promising academy products.

Ogundere spent all pre-season playing on the right side of the back three in Jackson's setup, and for the most part, the step-up to playing his new role was seamless, with Ogs, as he is affectionately known, slotting in alongside the brilliant pairing of Joe Lewis and new vice-captain Ryan Johnson very well.

However, toward the end of pre-season, and heading into the opening two games of Wimbledon's league campaign, there have been times when his slightly diminutive stature, compared to his fellow central defenders, has meant that teams have targeted him, and the right-hand side in general, when attacking.

The likes of Samson Tovide, Bradley Ihionvien, and occasionally, Tom Hopper all entered into aerial duels with Ogundere during the season opener against Colchester, and all won a fair amount. Then, against Bromley, the likes of Corey Whitley, Michael Cheek, and Levi Amantchi all made life difficult once again for him when battling for the ball in the air.

While this is not the end of the world for the team overall, with not every header and knockdown leading to a goal, the young defender was being beaten often, something which is not likely to sit well with Jackson, nor do any good for the player's personal development.

While many fans would agree he has an old head on young shoulders, being outgunned regularly in aerial duels and targetted by the opposition is likely to wear away Ogundere's confidence in his abilities, which could eventually lead to him being rendered as a poor defender and a player that Jackson can no longer rely on.

With Harbottle's arrival now though, the pair will begin a healthy rivalry for the spot, and learn from one another about how to individually improve their games, considering both are still at the start of their footballing careers.

Harbottle will, most likely, become the first choice for the spot too, once he is up to speed and settled down at the South West London club, meaning that Ogundere will not only want to train harder and improve upon his weaknesses to regain his spot, but also be taken away from the firing line and into the safety of being more of a squad player, meaning he has not got the constant pressure to perform at such a young age.

Not only will this enable him to greatly improve areas of his game where he lacks the ability at the moment, but it will also allow him to perhaps focus on becoming a stronger option elsewhere on the pitch and become a great utility player for Jackson.

If allowed, he may start to feature at right wing-back, as a purely defensive option in the position, given his weaknesses going forward, and from there, he can perhaps begin to learn what other areas of his game, when playing there, need improvement. While he does already make the correct runs and typically times them well, his final ball and overall composure in the final third is lacking, which in a system that heavily relies on the wing-backs, is far from ideal.

He will, if allowed to stay beyond his current contract which ends in 2025, be a big player for Wimbledon in the future, with experience as captain in both academy and first team football, meaning he could be in the frame to take over the role of skipper in the squad one day.

However, for now, he has got the long-awaited protection from a partner in his position, and abundant experience around him to learn what it is going to take to maximise his good amounts of potential that many fans are slowly starting to see with each season.