Luton Town could be tempted to strengthen in January to aid progress in their EFL Championship campaign following a tricky beginning to the 2024/25 season.
With the high expectations and pressure of bouncing back to be vying for promotion once again following relegation from the Premier League last term, the Hatters can reflect on their summer transfer business and their fortunes thus far with pain.
Rob Edwards’ side are currently situated just above the drop zone in 19th position after 11 games. They have managed to pip just three wins against Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday and Watford while picking up singular points against Portsmouth and Oxford United.
The Hatters only utilised one loan deal prior to the transfer window closing, seeing midfielder Tom Krauß pen a season-long spell from Bundesliga outfit Mainz. The 23-year-old has provided a goal and assist in the six games he has featured in, but the Hatters are still in need of extra reinforcements to add resilience to the squad alongside goal contributions.
The January transfer window presents a key opportunity to strengthen their squad. Some top-flight players are currently finding game time hard to come by, and loan deals could be mutually beneficial for both clubs.
Below, BoyleSports has examined who David Wilkinson and the Luton hierarchy may have recently favoured in discussions to make a switch to Kenilworth Road at the turn of the new year.
Rob Holding
To put it lightly, Holding hasn’t quite settled into his surroundings at Crystal Palace in over a year of being on the Eagles’ book, having only made one senior appearance in a Carabao Cup tie against Manchester United. He has been axed from Oliver Glasner’s plans and made to ply his trade with the current under-21s. However, his defensive experience and leadership could make him a perfect fit to anchor Luton’s backline as they look to solidify
their defence.
David Brooks
Brooks hasn’t seen regular minutes at Bournemouth, with only a nine-minute cameo coming against Leicester in the Cherries’ most recent Premier League fixture. Having recovered from serious illness, Brooks spent the second half of last season on loan at Southampton, helping the south coast club return to the top flight via the play-offs. Another loan move for the 26-year-old, this time to Luton, could offer him the chance to rediscover his form while adding creativity and flair to their attack.
Carney Chukwuemeka
While the Hatters have a few central midfielders at their disposal, adding a highly-rated, versatile prospect in Carney Chukwuemeka could be a game-changer for the second half of the season. Having only played 27 minutes of football with the Chelsea first team this season, a loan spell with Luton would give him the platform to showcase his skills while providing the Hatters with extra dynamism in midfield. However, the upcoming talent will no doubt have proposals from a range of clubs to snap up his services.
Paul Onuachu
Onuachu’s physical attributes make him an imposing forward, but he has yet to make his mark in the Premier League with Southampton.
Luton could benefit from his goal-scoring prowess, especially in aerial battles and set-piece situations, similar to Elijah Adebayo’s qualities, adding a like-for-like option for Rob Edwards to utilise. Like Chukwuemeka, though, the Hatters may struggle among other outfits interested in securing his signature.
Ryan Manning
Equally comfortable at left-back or in midfield, Manning’s versatility could solve multiple issues for Luton. He might not be receiving regular game time at Southampton, but his energy and work rate could bring much-needed balance.
Hamza Choudhury
The combative midfielder has fallen down the pecking order at Leicester. His tenacity and ball-winning abilities could make him an ideal addition to help Luton fight for every point in hopes of rising up the Championship standings.
Harry Clarke
Clarke has made just one Premier League appearance for Ipswich Town this campaign despite being a mainstay in the right-back position last season.
Therefore, the 23-year-old will be itching to get regular minutes under his belt once again. He could add valuable defensive depth to the Hatters’ squad. His ability to play across the backline would give Luton more tactical flexibility in their defensive setup.