Hatters boss warns clubs will need 'one hell of a chequebook' if they want to try and sign Town striker Adebayo in the transfer window

Talk of selling top scorer is premature for Luton manager
Luton striker Elijah Adebayo high fives the Hatters fans after being substituted against Middlesbrough on Tuesday nightLuton striker Elijah Adebayo high fives the Hatters fans after being substituted against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night
Luton striker Elijah Adebayo high fives the Hatters fans after being substituted against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night

Luton boss Nathan Jones has warned any clubs interested in signing Elijah Adebayo when the transfer windows open they will need ‘one hell of a chequebook’ to try and prise Town’s top scorer away from Kenilworth Road.

The 23-year-old has been a revelation since arriving from League Two Walsall in February, scoring five in his first 18 appearances as Luton finished 12th in the Championship.

This term he has taken his and the Hatters’ game to a new level, as following a goal in the opening 3-0 win over Peterborough, he has added seven more in his last eight outings to sit top of the club’s scoring charts on eight.

If Adebayo carries on such form for the next few months, there will no doubt be clubs in the second tier and quite possibly the Premier League looking at him as a potential option once January comes around, but a defiant Jones said: “If anyone is interested in Elijah they need to have one hell of a chequebook because he’s scoring goals at a wonderful Championship club and young, goalscoring target men of his size, stature, pace, power, learning capacity, they don't come cheap.

“So if someone is going to come in, then they’d better be prepared to be serious as he’s nowhere near his ceiling, so we believe the longer he stays with us, the better he’s going to be.

“If we have an asset now that’s worth, I don’t know, a billion pounds, then in six months time he’s going to be worth two, now that’s what we believe and that’s all we can say.

“There’s no thing really, he hasn’t achieved anything yet.

"He’s had a year in the Championship, not even a year of Championship football, scored some good goals, he’s learning, he’s developing his all-round play and that’s the most important thing.

“Developing all-round play, keeps scoring goals, then, if the right move comes along for him, which we’re a million miles from at the minute, then we can consider that and advise him, as it’s not just us trying to cash in, we never do that.

“Everyone that goes from here, someone like a James Justin, James could have gone to 15 clubs, but Leicester was the right club.

"So until that comes in, there’s nothing to discuss anyway, but it’s far too premature for us to be talking about that and he’s still got plenty to achieve for Luton.”