MK Dons have completed the loan signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.
Cumming, 22, joins the Dons for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign and becomes the Club’s second capture this transfer window.
The former England youth international has spent the first half of this season with Sky Bet League One rivals Gillingham, after keeping 18 clean-sheets in 47 appearances while on loan at Stevenage last term.
Cumming, who registered a shut-out at Stadium MK just over a week ago, currently leads all goalkeepers in England’s top four leagues with 96 saves while his 74.6% save percentage ranks fourth in the division.
He also leads the league in prevented goals (6.79) while in 2021 he strung together the most consecutive minutes without conceding a league goal amongst all goalkeepers in the 92 with 684 during his time with Stevenage.
“I am really excited,” Cumming told iFollow MK Dons after finalising his switch. “This is a great opportunity for me at a Club with great ambition and I am looking forward to helping the team as much as I can.
“Both my spells at Stevenage and Gillingham were great for my development but this felt like the right next move for me in my career, especially with the way the team likes to play – it will give me an opportunity to show a side of my game that I would say is a strength.
“Playing competitive football week in, week out is what is all about. The pressure of having to get three points is something I thrive on and hopefully I can help this Club do a lot of that and achieve its goals for this season.”
Born in Winchester, Cumming joined Chelsea at the age of eight and progressed through the various age groups before signing professional terms with the Blues in November 2018.
While yet to make his senior bow for the Stamford Bridge outfit, Cumming has made a dozen EFL Trophy appearances for their Under-21s while he was also a named substitute in Chelsea's 4–1 UEFA Europa League Final victory over Arsenal in May 2019.
Cumming joined Stevenage on loan in August 2020 and went on to total 47 appearances for the Hertfordshire club, keeping 18 clean sheets and helping them finish with the third best defensive record in Sky Bet League Two. He also put together a run of 684 minutes without conceding a league goal – the most amongst all goalkeepers in England in 2021.
This summer, Cumming joined Gillingham on loan and immediately established himself as first-choice between the sticks. He featured 20 times in total for the Gills, keeping four clean sheets but ranking amongst the best in the division in terms of saves made (1st), high claims (3rd) and save percentage (4th).
Sporting Director Liam Sweeting said: “I am delighted that we have been able to attract someone of Jamie’s quality. He has been one of the standout goalkeepers across the EFL this season and, crucially, arrives sharp and ready to make a difference for us.
“This is the second time this window we have seen a player choose to come to MK Dons mid-season, to not only challenge and help us in the second half of the campaign but also because they buy into the way we play and how we develop people along the way.
“I’d like to thank Chelsea for their assistance in moving as quickly as was possible to allow Jamie to join us.”
Goalkeeper Coach Lewis Price added: “We have watched a lot of him this season and Liam has done a lot of recruitment analysis too - he came out on top in a lot of what we were looking for.
“I like his presence in the goal - he’s positive and on the front. It’s clear from his time coming through at Chelsea and with England that he is comfortable with the ball at his feet as well.
“He’s done well at Gillingham and Stevenage and comes here having played a lot of football at professional level. We are excited to have the chance to work with him and hopefully we can help him develop and improve during his time with us.”
Head Coach Liam Manning added: “Jamie has shown what he can do at this level having impressed with Gillingham during the first half of the season. We saw first-hand what he is capable of in the game here on New Year’s Day.
“Working with Pricey and alongside Franco (Ravizzoli), I am confident he will continue to progress as a professional and as a goalkeeper, and that, in turn, will help us on the pitch as well.”
