Mansfield Town have agreed a compensation package with AFC Wimbledon for the purchase of midfielder Anthony Hartigan, who has penned a two-year contract.
The 22-year-old joined the Dons at the age of 14 and quickly emerged as a highly-rated prospect, signing his first professional contract on his 17th birthday.
Hartigan was introduced into the first-team at the start of his second year as an apprentice, being handed his senior debut in the EFL Cup against Brentford in August 2017 and totalled 16 appearances that season before scooping the LFE League One Apprentice of the Year award.
The Londoner featured 152 times for Wimbledon, including 42 outings last season – registering seven assists in the third tier – before allowing his contract to expire this summer.
“Anthony is a young midfielder with a lot of league games under his belt for his age,” Manager Nigel Clough told the Stags’ website. “He’s somebody who we’ve watched for some time and he’ll bring something different to the squad.
“He’s a central midfield player, with a very good delivery into the penalty area from set-plays. We think he has real potential to go on and play at a higher level in the future and at 22, he complements the experience we have in the squad.
“We’re grateful to the owners who, along with David (Sharpe, Chief Executive), have worked hard on the deal and sanction the fee.”
