Hatters boss not out to 'rip up' Town squad as he searches for the right balance ahead of transfer deadline

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Bloomfield discusses Luton’s plan during the January window

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield stated he isn’t looking to ‘rip up’ the work that has gone before him as he searches for the right balance of experience and youth in his Hatters squad ahead of this evening’s transfer deadline passing.

So far the Hatters have made six additions during the window, with four of them coming in the space of just a few days last week. They were the young League One duo of Thelo Aasgaard from Wigan Athletic and Exeter City’s Millenic Alli, both joining permanently for undisclosed fees. Bloomfield also swooped for Kal Naismith and Josh Bowler, the slightly older pair penning loan deals from fellow Championship outfit Bristol City and Premier League side Nottingham Forest respectively.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Town had already brought in Middlesbrough’s Isaiah Jones and youngster Christ Makosso from Belgian top flight club RWD Molenbeek, while with Town needing to move some players on, both Victor Moses and Cauley Woodrow are two who could well depart, with centre half Tom Holmes and long-serving midfield Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu also possibly exiting, it means Luton’s squad could have a new-look feel to it as they battle to avoid relegation to League One in the second half of the campaign.

Hatters boss Matt Bloomfield - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media ImagesHatters boss Matt Bloomfield - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media Images
Hatters boss Matt Bloomfield - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media Images

Norwegian striker Lasse Nordas is expected to join as well ahead of this evening’s 11pm cut-off point, as discussing Town’s forays into the market last week, Bloomfield said: “I’m not going to sit here and say I just want to sign all League One players, I’m not going to sit here and say I’m not going to sign any from there, it’s about getting the balance, that’s really, really crucial.

"Understanding what we have in the building already and what we believe will complement what we have in the building, I think is really important. We’re not trying to rip up what’s gone before and build something completely new, we’re trying to use and complement to move forward as a group together. It’s us and it’s our football club and our group, ours together and that’s what is really important to say. We’re trying to get what we believe is right and what we know is right to complement the players we already have here and we believe what we’ve done so far will absolutely do that.”

Discussing the January transfer window season a few weeks ago, both Gary Sweet and chief recruitment officers Mick Harford pointed out the difficulties of acquiring new signings, stating that most teams will usually only be able to sign players that other teams don’t really want. That hasn’t been the case for Luton though, with both the Latics and Grecians definitely looking to keep hold of Aasgaard and All, the pair being the top scorers for their respective clubs, before Town were able to prise them away.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On that fact, Bloomfield continued: “There’s a lot to it. Different owners and different football clubs are run in different ways, so what’s their economic situation? What’s their position in the league? What are they chasing throughout their own season? Are they fighting to keep hold of their players? Or can players move on? If not, it’s from clubs who maybe don’t want to lose them or are not involved as much so maybe they’re looking for football.

"There’s so many different circumstances. With Milli and Thelo, absolutely their clubs didn’t want to lose them, but we’ve provided them with an opportunity that both want to grasp with both hands. We want that as well. We want that hunger in the building, we want that desire from people to prove themselves as well. So for those two it’s been a great opportunity for them and for us they’ve been two really good acquisitions.”

With Bloomfield having been a big fan of both Aasgaard and Alli after managing against them during his time at previous club Wycombe Wanderers, he was thrilled to be able to get them to join him at Kenilworth Road. He did reveal that any signing won’t just be down to him though, with Luton already aware of the duo before he arrived, adding: “Both players I walked away from the games a number of times thinking they were proper players. When I was at my previous club, you never knew whether you’ll have the opportunity to bring them in yourself, as I expected them to move on to other clubs because I expected them to move on to a higher level.

"It’s funny how this life and this game presents itself an opportunity, as I’ve moved on and now I’m in with a chance to go and recruit them. They’re players who have remained in my mind for a few years, Alli less so as he’s just come into the league for the last year, but in Thelo’s case I’ve looked at him for a number of years thinking he’ll move at some point and I’m just pleased I’ve been able to give him the opportunity to do so. It’s tough in January, there’s so many circumstances that need to come through for you to sign a player and you’re slightly dictated to by the market as well.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The recruitment team here have got lots of lists of players that they’re watching and they’re really thorough, so I don’t think there’s any signings that the club have made where it’s just been mine. But we work together, obviously I’m aware of those two boys and I’m really understanding of their games as I’ve seen them, but they were on the club’s radar before I got here as well, so it’s absolutely a team effort. Of course we work together and we’re really pleased with what we’ve done.”

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1891
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice