Former Lincoln City defender Cohen Bramall has agreed a move to MK Dons following his departure from Luton Town.
The 30-year-old left-back has joined Paul Warne’s side after the expiry of his contract at Kenilworth Road, where he made 35 appearances in all competitions last season. He was also part of the Luton squad that lifted the Vertu Trophy, beating Stockport County at Wembley.
Bramall’s move takes him back to League One, where he will link up again with Warne, the manager who previously signed him for Rotherham United. MK Dons have not disclosed the length of his contract, but Warne made clear that the former Imps man was a player he wanted in early.
“It was easy to convince him to come here,” said the former Rotherham United boss.
“He’s like a full-back that has winger tendencies, who always wants to take people on and gives us a great dynamic energy down the left side.”
“He wants to get back to the Championship, so he’s another great addition to the squad and he’ll make us stronger for when pre-season properly starts.”
Bramall’s career has never followed a conventional path. He began in non-league football with clubs including Kidsgrove Athletic, Alsager Town, Nantwich Town, Market Drayton Town and Newcastle Town, while also combining football with factory work. His form with Hednesford Town earned him a remarkable move to Arsenal in January 2017, reportedly for around £40,000.
He travelled with Arsenal’s first team but did not make a senior competitive appearance for the Gunners. Instead, he spent time on loan at Birmingham City, making five Championship appearances, before leaving Arsenal in 2019 and joining Colchester United.
His Lincoln City move came in February 2021, when he signed for the Imps for an undisclosed fee. At the time, his arrival came in the same window as Regan Poole and Morgan Rogers, with Michael Appleton’s side already well stocked in wide defensive areas. Tayo Edun and TJ Eyoma had both been performing strongly, which meant Bramall’s signing was not universally greeted as an obvious priority.
He soon became a useful part of the squad, though. His pace was a major asset, particularly when City were under pressure, and he featured 54 times for the club in all competitions. He scored twice for the Imps, including a goal against Morecambe in February 2022, and showed flashes of real quality from set pieces.
Bramall also handled difficult moments with maturity during his time at Sincil Bank. Early in the 2021/22 campaign, he was allegedly subjected to racial abuse at Gillingham, an incident that brought wider attention to the abuse faced by players online and in grounds.
His departure from Lincoln came in July 2022, when Rotherham United triggered a release clause in his contract, reported at the time to be around £200,000. Given that Bramall had entered the final year of his deal, it represented a profit for City on a player who had arrived 18 months earlier and had developed into a Championship-level option.
At Rotherham, he played 91 league games and scored twice before moving to Portsmouth in January 2025. A short spell at Fratton Park followed, before he joined Luton Town later that year.
He will now look to help MK Dons build in League One, with Warne clearly valuing both his pace and attacking instincts from left-back. For Lincoln supporters, it is another move in a career that has taken Bramall from non-league football to Arsenal, Sincil Bank, the Championship, Wembley success, and now another fresh start.
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