⁠⁠Crystal Palace agreement would come with a warning for AFC Wimbledon | OneFootball

The Dons are linked with the loan signing of Crystal Palace youngster Ademola Ola-Adebomi, but should take warning from previous loan spells

AFC Wimbledon have been linked with a loan move for Crystal Palace youngster Ademola Ola-Adebomi to help reinforce their frontline.

The striker, who stands at 6ft 4ins, was most recently on loan at Belgian second-tier side SK Beveren but failed to score in nine appearances for the European side.

The striker has got EFL experience under his belt already thanks to a loan spell with Burton Albion as recently as last season, but having shared a similar experience in the midlands as to that he had abroad, the Dons should perhaps be cautious about a move for the as yet unproven striker.

AFC Wimbledon keen on Ademola Ola-Adebomi loan deal

As revealed midway through last week by NewShopper reporter Bobby Manzi, the Dons hold a "firm interest" and are looking to bring the youngster to Plough Lane on a temporary basis.

It had been expected by those in charge of youth development and loans at Palace that the 20-year-old would spend the season over in Belgium.

However, following a combination of failing to impress Beveren boss Marinik Reedijk and a shoulder injury, which healed quicker than expected, his disappointing loan has been cut short.

And now, it is Johnnie Jackson looking to bring the youngster in on a loan deal, with the Dons already in good stead with their South London neighbours having had success with Kofi Balmer last season and as Owen Goodman is developing well during his current season-long loan.

AFC Wimbledon and Johnnie Jackson should be wary of previous EFL disappointment

However, despite all the positives that currently weigh in Wimbledon's favour in terms of being able to beat any competition that they should face in their chase for the Palace youngster, both Jackson and those behind the transfers at Wimbledon should be cautious of the fact that Adebomi has failed to impress in the EFL before.

Only last season, Adebomi spent the latter half of the campaign on loan at Burton Albion, and flattered to deceive.

Despite providing a physical presence up front for the Brewers in another season in which they only just managed to achieve safety in League One, the striker only managed to net a measly one goal for the club, while laying on an assist to a teammate only twice throughout 14 games in total.

He was proving to be a hotshot in academy football for Palace, managing to accrue 23 goals and four assists in 52 games over the past two years in the youth setup at Palace, but the step-up to men's football can be too big of a step for some to make, and if success is not found at Wimbledon, then he could be another young prodigy swallowed up by the rampant machine that is full-time professional football.

AFC Wimbledon do not have great history with young Premier League forwards

To add to the potential red flags regarding the potential signing of Palace's up-and-coming striker, there is the fact that Wimbledon has not been the best club for young, promising Premier League academy forwards to come to in recent years.

In recent years, the club have welcomed the likes of Aaron Pressley and Nathan Young-Coombes on loan from Premier League Brentford, and while they were not poor additions, their form during their stays at the club was mixed.

And then there were the less-than-perfect loans of Dapo Mebude and Terry Ablade, who both flopped in the pressurised and combative environment of lower league football.

In the time since those four chosen forwards were at Wimbledon, none have gone on to have any better spells elsewhere, with only Ablade still remaining with the club that originally loaned him to the Dons, at Fulham. The rest are now either trying to forge careers in the lower reaches of professional football in the UK, or, in Young-Coombes' case, a free agent with no club having been released by Brentford.

So, while the profile of Wimbledon is a perfect fit for what Ola-Adebomi can bring with his height and physicality, there are cautionary tales of previous Premier League prospects that should be considered.