AFC Wimbledon fans will have been nervously twiddling thumbs throughout the vast course of transfer deadline day, as their club had failed to announce a single player on the day by 9pm, two hours before the January window was set to close.

That was then they pounced for Sutton defender Aaron Pierre, but the Dons didn't call it a day there.

Half an hour over the deadline, Diallang Jaiyesimi was announced on a loan from Charlton, with the recruitment of the winger a pleaser in the Greater London district.

Yet that still wasn't it, Wimbledon going on to confirm a third and final signing gone midnight, in Leicester midfielder Kasey McAteer.

  • Aaron Pierre

Penning a contract until the end of the season, experienced Football League defender from League Two club Sutton United, Pierre moved onto his seventh EFL club, looking to add to a total 245 league appearances.

The 29-year-old had started out his career at Brentford, making a professional debut in an EFL Trophy defeat to Southend in 2012.

Not given the opportunity of a league start, he soon departed on loan to Wycombe Wanderers, where he impressed manager Gareth Ainsworth, and earnt a permanent contract with the Chairboys.

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Pierre spent three years at Adams Park, making 149 appearances for the then-League Two side before making the step up to Northampton Town in 2017. He also scored 10 times while in Buckinghamshire.

The Cobblers' addition of free agent Pierre to their ranks was certainly a deal well done, but he couldn't prevent the drop down to the fourth tier of English football, though did win the club's Player of the Season in his second campaign there.

In 2019, the Grenada international signed for Shrewsbury Town for an undisclosed fee, and went on to make just shy of 100 appearances for them, prior to his recent move to Sutton United in August 2022.

After yet another Player of the Season award, this time coming at Salop, expectations were high for Pierre at Gander Green Lane.

The solid defender didn't live up to those, making only three appearances in all competitions, his Sutton career cut short due to injury.

  • Diallang Jaiyesimi

Dons' second signing of the night was a loan from Charlton Athletic, expiring at the end of the season.

Jaiyesimi was the new face at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, and alike Pierre, brings plenty of experience with him.

Dulwich Hamlet was the starting point for the versatile winger - he captained their U18 side and made five senior appearances, before impressing on a trial period with Norwich City, and signed a contract in 2016.

He ended the 2016/17 season as joint Norwich top scorer in the U23s, netting eight times across 33 appearances.

Although never getting a chance with the first team, Jaiyesimi spent four years with the Canaries, most of that time on loan elsewhere.

The Nigerian recorded his EFL debut during a spell with Grimsby Town, and had a good run of form there, helping out with three assists.

A brief period with Yeovil was followed by some time at Swindon Town, where he initially went out on loan, before rejoining after his release from Norwich.

Overall, the 24-year-old appeared 44 times for the Robins, along 13 goal involvements.

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An undisclosed fee brought Jaiyesimi to Charlton in 2021, and by chance, his first goal in red and white came against new club Wimbledon. So far, the powerful attacker has tallied up 63 appearances for the League One side.

  • Kasey McAteer

Those who were eager to stay up past midnight were rewarded for their patience by the Dons, who went on to bring in Kasey McAteer on loan from Leicester City.

The young midfielder has been a Fox since the age of eight, and following 64 appearances at youth level, he was given a Premier League debut in 2021, replacing James Maddison late on in a thrashing of Newcastle.

 

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In the 2022 January transfer window, the versatile 21-year-old was sent out on loan to eventual League Two champions Forest Green Rovers, and played 210 minutes for them in the division before returning to the King Power Stadium at the end of the season.

McAteer becomes Wimbledon's seventh and final signing of the 2023 window.