MK Dons’ hopes of Championship football died on Sunday night, and the likelihood is that their hopes of retaining League One’s Player of the Year suffered a fatal blow too.
Scott Twine is only 12 months into the long-term deal he signed at Stadium MK when arriving from Swindon Town in the summer of 2021. The prospect of the EFL’s most devastating set-piece taker sticking around to help Liam Manning and co go one step further in 2022/23, however, look decidedly slim.
That’s not being defeatist. Just realistic.
Twine is a footballer who belongs on a bigger stage. MK Dons’ heart-breaking defeat to Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off semi-finals means the best player in England’s third tier (and, yes, it’s official) will have no choice but to pack his bags once again if he is wants to showcase his talents at a higher level.
West Brom want Scott Twine
Twine certainly won’t be short of opportunities to do just that.
According to TEAMtalk, Burnley, Norwich City, Middlesbrough and Stoke City are interested. West Brom too. And if Steve Bruce wants to add some ‘flair’ to a Baggies side who attacked last season with all the enthusiasm of a hormone-ridden teenager dragged around the M&S clothing department on a Saturday morning, then who better than a man who’s laser-like precision from long-range has become the stuff of legend in the lower divisions?
20 goals and 13 assists is a remarkable tally for a midfielder in his debut season at a new club. The ‘outstanding‘ Twine even scored four in April’s 5-0 thumping of Plymouth Argyle.
And his set-piece ability would give James Ward-Prowse a run for his money. Twine has scored seven times from dead balls since the start of last season.
“It’s the industry we’re in. There’s always going to be speculation (about the future of star players),” Manning sighed after MK Dons failed to overturn their 2-0 first-leg deficit against Gareth Ainsworth’s famously well-drilled Wycombe side.
“You have to make sure you’re prepared for any changes that come up.”
TEAMtalk believe MK Dons could command a fee of around £3 million for Twine. Swindon certainly knew what they were doing when they inserted a 20 per cent sell on clause into his contract…
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