Terry Brown admits he faces one of his toughest summers as a manager as he looks to juggle his playing budget and put together a promotion-challenging AFC Wimbledon side.

The Dons boss is hoping to bring in up to six players as he aims to remould a side torn apart at the conclusion of the last campaign.

But with the Kingsmeadow outfit electing to go full-time this season, Brown is set for a summer of haggling.

He said: “We are in talks with a number of players but there is nothing concrete yet.

“In a perfect world I would like to have a couple of deals sorted by the end of this week before players go off on holiday, but it is not that easy.

“We are running with the same budget as last season, but with us going full-time the money is spread more thinly.

“The squad will definitely be smaller than last season, and we will be probably go with 18 players.

“That is purely for financial reasons.

“With Salisbury City being expelled for the Conference last week over money issues it shows just how easy things can gallop away from you in football.

“As a club we will never let that happen, and if it means supplementing the first team squad with players from the academy so be it.”

While Brown is hard at work with the recruitment process, the Dons have also announced a mouth-watering batch of pre-season friendlies.

Wimbledon will face the likes of Arsenal, Charlton and Millwall over the summer.

And Brown reckons those fixtures are reward for the club’s excellent recent progress.

He added: “I think it is fair to say that those games have come about because our standing in the game has improved.

“We are in a position now where we can attract teams like that to Kingsmeadow and it is fantastic for the club.

“Sides like Arsenal also know we are not going to kick them off the park if they come down here.

“I am really looking forward to it.

“It gives everybody something to look forward to and although I never pay much attention to results in friendlies, they will be a great opportunity for us to test ourselves against very strong sides.”