Hatters chief insists Luton definitely have a 'competitive' transfer budget

Luton boss Jack Wilshere insists he has the budget in place to ensure the Hatters are ‘competitive’ when attempting to achieve their goal of promotion from League One this season.

Going into the new campaign, third tier clubs approved changes to the existing Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) rules back in May, with the aim of reducing losses and the reliance on owner funding in the division. The long-standing SCMP rules limit spending on player wages to a percentage of a club’s turnover, while as part of the amendments, the percentage of turnover that clubs will be able to spend on wages has been reduced from 60 percent to 50 percent, with those relegated from the Championship permitted to spend 65 percent of turnover on wages during their first season in League One, reduced from 75 percent.

With the staggered approach to equity injections in the division removed too, intended to encourage investment into other areas of club operations, such as infrastructure and youth development, then Luton will need to be smart when it comes to bolstering the playing personnel at Kenilworth Road this term.

So far the Hatters have added former Bolton Wanderers defender George Johnston on a free transfer, plus snapping up loan star Kasey Palmer from Hull City as well, as despite the new rulings in place, Wilshere is confident about their ability to strengthen in the transfer market this summer, saying: “I’m aware of them (rules), but first of all, I don’t necessarily get that involved in the financial side of deals.

"Obviously I’m aware of what a player will cost as I have to understand the parameters that are set for us so I know what we’re looking at, but that being said, I let the guys who deal with that, they sort of drive that and let me know if it’s doable or not doable. Every coach or manager has to understand that because it’s happened and it will change a few things, however I don’t let it take up too much of my mind. We also have to get players out, but in my opinion, there’s more than enough of a budget to be competitive.”

On whether it is important that supporters are aware of the changes that clubs are facing this term too, along with the fact that Town’s parachute payments from their time in the Premier League have now stopped, Wilshere continued: “I think naturally people will know that and it’s probably quite common knowledge that when you come down from the league you get parachute payments for a certain amount of years and they’ve stopped now.

"So that naturally means that we have to recruit different types of players, but that’s not a bad thing and I know this club over the years was built on finding those younger players, finding those hungry players, that have a hunger, a drive in them to go to the next level, with us hopefully. It creates a different type of, I don’t necessarily like the word, but culture around the place. So that’s not an issue, it just means we have to look in different places. We’ll still work as hard at trying to bring players in, but from different places.”

Asked just what he thinks League One will look like this term, as on paper it already appears a far stronger division due to Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United’s relegation from the Championship, plus big-spending MK Dons also winning promotion from League Two, Wilshere added: “Time will tell, however, I think about the clubs who have come down and I think about the managers that have gone in. I know Aaron (Ramsay, Oxford boss) well, obviously everyone knows Russell Martin (at Leicester) and how he wants to play.

"Sheffield Wednesday, who all the troubles that they’ve been through, they’ve now solved, so they’ll be in a position where they’ll be strong. What I learned last year is there are a lot of different styles in League One, however, capturing those styles and knowing what you’re coming up against, that’s what we’ve been working on in the summer. Every single game, do we need to prepare the same way that we did last season? Do we need to change a few things?

"Do we need to focus on a different area of the pitch if we’re playing against a team that are going to play long for example? I think you’ll have the same in terms of the variation and different styles, however, I don’t think you’ll know the answer to that question. Is there going to be a team that is as good as Cardiff for dominating possession? Is there going to be a team as good as Lincoln were in terms of being direct and being horrible to play against? Maybe, maybe, but time will tell on that.”