Milton Keynes Dons have completed the signing of Rotherham striker Sam Nombe, 27, with boss Paul Warne calling talks 'one of the easiest negotiations I’ve ever done'. The League Two side announced the deal on Friday, wrapping up a transfer that Warne described as straightforward.
How the Nombe deal went down
The transfer had been on the cards since Nombe’s contract at Rotherham expired after his £1m move from Exeter City in August 2023. Warne, who managed the Millers between 2016 and 2022, said Nombe’s heart was set on returning to Buckinghamshire from the start. “Sam is a forward I’ve always liked who doesn’t give a moment’s peace to the opposition’s back line,” Warne told the club’s website. “He thrives off crosses which I like my team to excel at. He’s physical, confident and has consistently scored goals at this level.”
Nombe, who came through MK Dons’ youth ranks before leaving in 2021, tops Rotherham’s scoring charts for the past two seasons. The Millers used the £1m proceeds to bring in four new faces this summer: Aaron Nemane, Ossama Ashley, Jamie Jellis and Fabio Tavares. Yet gaps remain across the squad after last term’s League Two relegation.
What it means for MK Dons
Warne sees Nombe as the missing piece in a frontline that already boasts eight goals from pre-season friendlies. “His work rate for the team is also to be applauded,” the boss added. “He improves a very strong department of our squad.” Nombe’s arrival comes as MK Dons sit second in League Two on 86 points from 46 games, one behind Bromley with a goal difference of +41.
The club’s unbeaten run stretches back five matches, including a 1-1 draw at Fleetwood Town on 2 May 2026. Nombe missed the Millers’ pre-season slate to avoid knocks ahead of his move, but Warne expects him to slot straight into the first XI.
What Rotherham do next
Rotherham boss Alex Bruce admitted the Nombe saga slowed incoming business at the New York Stadium. “Yes, a little bit,” he said last weekend. “We have to wait for a bid to be right.” The Millers, who brought in just four players all summer, still need to shore up swathes of the squad after last season’s drop to the fourth tier.
