Bloomfield insists there will be new signings as Luton boss expects plenty of movement during transfer window

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield has declared that new signings will definitely be made by the Hatters in January as the club bid to have the kind of ‘aggressive’ transfer window that chief executive Gary Sweet promised when he was unveiled as manager.

With just over a week to go, Town have so far added Middlesbrough attacker Isaiah Jones for an undisclosed fee, also bringing in RWD Molenbeek defender Christ Makosso, although he looks to be very much one signed with the future in mind. Asked this afternoon over just how confident he is there will be further incomings to give Luton the boost they need to climb out of the relegation battle they currently find themselves in, Bloomfield said: “There will be, there will be, not right now, nothing before the weekend, but there will be movement.

"The club are working hard, they’ve been working hard since before I got here and since. There will be a couple of comings and goings I’m sure. They’re working to bring a couple in and I do think the fresh energy will be good for the group. We’re really pleased with the way that the group are working, but if we can get stronger then we absolutely want to and we need to do that. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes, there’s so many things to marry up as there is with any transfer, and if everything aligns then hopefully we’ll be able to do a bit of business.

“Gary obviously stated we want to be aggressive which is amazing. Like I say we’re a team and we approach that all together and we’ll do what’s right for the football club, but there’s so many different factors that go into these deals. We have to make sure that everything’s right because we have to make sure the club is at the heart of everything we do.”

Asked if he knew of any bids submitted so far, Town linked with Bloomfield’s former striker at Wycombe Wanderers, Richard Kone, the boss reiterated his stance about discussing the Chairboys’ leading scorer in public, continuing: “I just don’t think it’s right for me to comment on other people’s players. When he was my player I could talk about him all I liked and earlier in the window, we had some interest in one or two of our players at Wycombe and I said that I didn’t think it was right for other managers to comment on it. I’m not trying to dodge the question, I just don’t think it’s right for me to comment on other players. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes and we’ll try and do what’s right.

"I don’t know if there’s bids in or not. We do work together, the club are dealing with stuff behind the scenes. I’m the manager and I’m included in that process and I love to be involved, but there’s also the guys that deal with the bids and the financials and the agents, all of it which allows me to concentrate on the football. The club are working, Gary and Moons (James Mooney, operations manager) along with the recruitment guys with big Mick (Harford, chief recruitment officer), so they’re dealing with all of that. There’s been some good conversations and I believe we’re heading in the right direction with a few of them.”

Although Town haven’t done any more business since Bloomfield arrived, he was quick to point out that he wasn’t disappointed in any way by a lack of signings during his 10 days at the club, stating: “No frustration, the market in my opinion has been quite slow, but I think the last week you’ll see things picking up. That’s usually the way in January, everyone’s jostling for position and waiting for the right options and then come the end of the window things drop.

"It usually takes one to move and a knock-on effect is there’s usually quite a lot of movement after it. In the summer you can be really pre-planned, in January you have to be pre-planned, but also reactive because the time you have is quite short. So we have to be active and reactive to what’s right for us as a football club. I’m always confident, always optimistic, always excited. I think we’ll do what we need to do, I absolutely believe that.

"There’s a lot of hard work that’s going on, I’m excited for the way the team’s building and a couple of changes will help us, but the group, they way they’ve gone about their work, considering it’s not been a successful season for the guys so far, the way they’ve approached their work, I’ve been really, really pleased with.”

To bring players in, then with just one space available in Town’s 25-man squad now experienced defender Erik Pieters has left following his contract expiring, Luton will have to move some out. On the chances of that happening, Bloomfield added: “There’s a lot that can happen in the last 10 days of a transfer window, whether that’s interest in our players, players coming in. I expect there to be a lot of phone calls, a lot of movement and lots of possible movement. Some of those come through and some of those don’t and that will all play out as what fits the football club and what’s right for us.

“We’ve got some really good players and I’m sure there is interest in them and there will be and there has been to different levels. Sometimes that’s firmed up with bids, sometimes that’s just an interest, an enquiry. Again a lot of that is going on, phone calls in January, every club’s trying to strengthen and no-one wants to lose their best players, but trading and comings and goings is part of the game. We’ll have to adapt and adapt quickly if a bid comes in, but I know the club don’t want to lose their best players, so that’s something that Gary will deal with for the best of Luton.”