Notts County must surely have one big David McGoldrick fear – It would affect promotion push | OneFootball

Notts County supporters will be concerned about the potential of David McGoldrick moving to League Two promotion rivals Milton Keynes Dons.

Having missed out on promotion to League One due to a 2-0 aggregate play-off semi-final loss to AFC Wimbledon, it is expected to be quite a busy summer transfer window for Notts County.

It has already been announced that manager Stuart Maynard has left the club, whilst Football League World has exclusively revealed that Bolton Wanderers are interested in their Gambia international striker Alassana Jatta.

As well as that, it has also been confirmed that fellow key attacker David McGoldrick is set to depart Meadow Lane, having rejected a contract extension offered to him by the Magpies.

As County head into the summer with a bit of uncertainty, there may well be a bit of concern that McGoldrick has upped sticks from Nottingham to join a potential promotion rival for next season in Milton Keynes Dons.

McGoldrick could go to MK Dons

As was revealed last year, new Milton Keynes Dons boss Paul Warne still speaks to McGoldrick following their time together at Derby County, where McGoldrick thrived for a season at Pride Park during the 2022/23 campaign as the Rams missed out on the top six and the play-off places on the final day of the League One campaign.

MK Dons appear set to be ambitious this summer with the appointment of Warne, who has gained promotion from the third-tier on four occasions, a statement of intent by the club.

There is already the nucleus of a strong side at Stadium: MK, with the likes of Alex Gilbey, Liam Kelly, Luke Offord, Laurence Maguire and Scott Hogan – as well as Dan Crowley, who made the switch from County to Milton Keynes in the winter transfer window.

If another key attacker such as McGoldrick was to make the same move as Crowley, then it would be a major concern for County, who would have lost a standout player to a likely fellow contender for promotion from the fourth-tier next season.

McGoldrick’s impressive career

Having come through the academy and begun his career at Notts County before a move to Southampton in 2004, the former Ireland international appeared destined to see out his impressive career back at Meadow Lane.

His departure is something of a surprise and would have put some of the ambitious clubs in League Two, or potentially even in League One, on red alert.

McGoldrick’s technical ability has been showcased regularly throughout his career, but particularly as he has matured, and perhaps his most impressive stint came when he helped Sheffield United gain promotion to the Premier League in 2019.

He has hit double figures for league goals in a season at Coventry City, Ipswich Town, the Blades and Derby, as well as doing so in back-to-back League Two seasons for County since re-joining the club in the summer of 2023, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the 2024/25 campaign.

It would be a major psychological blow of McGoldrick was to have left Meadow Lane for a league rival – and that will be something that County