Ligue 1 side Toulouse have reportedly agreed on a fee for MK Dons star Max Dean, with Belgian side KAA Gent also prepared to match the fee.
Toulouse have reportedly struck a deal worth £1.7 million for MK Dons striker Max Dean after an impressive season in League Two.
How did Max Dean fare last season?
Dean joined MK Dons from Leeds United in January 2023 but only featured nine times with all appearances coming from the bench, scoring only once in his debut campaign.
It was last season when Dean showed his ability and became one of the standout young stars in League Two—scoring 15 goals in the league and picking up an additional five assists in 29 games.
His efforts, along with other key players such as Dan Kemp and Alex Gilbey, helped MK Dons finish the season in fourth place, but they disappointingly ended the season, losing the play-off semi-finals 8-1 on aggregate to eventual winners Crawley Town.
Although the season ended in a heavy loss, Max Dean could still deem the season a success, having the second-highest scoring frequency in the league behind Paul Mullin, and his talent may be rewarded with a move to France.
Toulouse strengthening
Footballer Insider reports 2022/2023 French Cup winners Toulouse have agreed a fee of £1.7 million for the former Leeds United man.
Toulouse was promoted back to the top flight of French football in the 22/23 season, and they survived with ease, finishing 13 points above the relegation zone, winning the French Cup, and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.
In their second season after promotion, Toulouse finished two places higher than the previous season, finishing 11th with 43 points, but goals were harder to come by scoring nine fewer goals than the previous campaign.
The French side relied on Dutch forward Thijs Dallinga, who picked up 16 goal contributions, with their other natural strikers struggling to make the same impact, with Frank Magri picking up seven goal contributions and Said Hamulic making only six appearances.
Max Dean could be a needed signing for Toulouse, who may need to add more goals to continue climbing up the table. Dean showed his goalscoring ability last season with 15 goals, an average of one every two games.
Dean could also be needed if Dallinga left the French Cup winners after his impressive season, with a lack of attacking depth having only two other natural strikers who struggled last season.
The MK Dons man is not the only signing Toulouse have made this season, signing Charlie Cresswell, who was Max Dean’s teammate back when he played in the Leeds United academy.
Big step for Dean
If Dean joins Toulouse, he may have to sit tight and wait for his chance to shine in France if Dallinga stays, who was the club’s first-choice striker last season.
Dean would be joining a youthful side in Toulouse, with an average squad age of 23.6 and several young stars such as Dallinga, Yann Gboho, and Logan Costa.
While it may be a big step, it could be too good to miss moving to the top flight of France, playing for a stable Ligue 1 side that have played recent European football, and it could be a significant step in Max Dean’s career.