Hatters CEO vows Luton will use transfer window to 'attack' new season
Town unsure what division they will be playing in next term
Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet has vowed that Town will use the summer transfer window in the best way possible as they bid to ‘attack’ next season whatever division the club finds themselves in.
With one game of the campaign to go, Luton could be in with a chance of playing Championship football once more via the play-offs should they win at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and other results go their way. However, they may also face another year in League One if top six rivals Stevenage, Bradford City and Stockport County all get the outcomes they require to deny Jack Wilshere’s side of extending their campaign.
Whatever division Town find themselves in, then they can begin strengthening their squad for the challenges ahead from Monday, June 15, when the window slides open for business. It’s fair to say that the recruitment team at Kenilworth Road has come in for some real criticism since winning promotion to the Premier League, as in a bid to stay in the top flight during January they brought in Daiki Hashioka, Tom Holmes and Taylan Harris, while a number of new additions since then, including Jerry Yates, Milli Alli, Lasse Nordas and Joe Gbode, have already shipped out on loan this term.
They did get certain things right during the winter this year though, the addition of Kasey Palmer on loan from Hull City proving one of the best bits of business in recent years, as he scored his eighth goal on Saturday to give his new club a realistic chance of finishing in the top six. Manchester City loanee Emilio Lawrence has also been another fine acquisition, with six assists to his name, also finding the net in the Vertu Trophy final win over Stockport County, but with several players out of contract at the end of the campaign, Wilshere could well be eying a major reshuffle of his squad to get the players in he wants to take the club forward.
Writing about their strategy in his programme notes ahead of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Barnsley, Sweet said: “Whatever the outcome this season, we are excitedly preparing to attack next season head on. There is a real belief in the nucleus of the current squad, the majority of whom, with the right support and the right additions, should realistically either challenge strongly in League One or be equipped to compete steadily in the Championship. There is likely to be significant churn across all squads across the leagues, particularly as tighter financial controls begin to bite, which will create valuable recruitment opportunities for us to attract more players who fit the culture of the club and the demands of our emerging football identity.”
Whatever happens this weekend and in the next few months, Sweet feels that challenging finances up and down the footballing period will lead to some serious modifications on how clubs are able to operate going forward, adding: “Looking beyond even next season, the wider game is moving into a period of major change. The proposed framework around the Independent Football Regulator with new licensing requirements is set to reshape the way clubs will be required to operate in pursuit of community protection and sustainability – a direction we very much welcome.
“There’s no avoiding the conversation around struggling finances in football. Across League One and beyond the numbers are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Losses are growing, wage levels are rising and there’s a clear sense that the current model is being pushed to its limits. For the first time, we’re now seeing club owners across the game aggressively beginning to challenge the game’s financial structure.
"For a long time, we’ve sat slightly on the edge of that debate. Not because we disagree – quite the opposite – but because our financial position, supported by parachute funding in recent years, has naturally changed our financial landscape, helping us deliver our priority objective – to take this club to a heightened level by building our new home (at Power Court).”