Hatters chief knows he has to make a 'big decision' on Kioso's future in the summer

Luton boss Nathan Jones insists he has to make a 'big decision' over the future of defender Peter Kioso this summer.

The 22-year-old who started out with Dunstable Town before making his name in the National League with Hartlepool, joined Luton in January 2020 under previous boss Graeme Jones.

After the ex-Wigan and Belgium assistant had left the club at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Kioso was given his debut by the returning Welshman once the season had restarted, playing the last minutes of the 1-0 win at Hull City.

The following campaign saw Kioso have two outings in the cup for Luton, including an excellent showing against Manchester United, before loan stints with Bolton Wanderers and Northampton, racking up a combined total of 35 appearances.

This term, the defender once more started in the Luton side, with his full league debut in the 1-0 win at Barnsley, playing four times before dropping out of the team following the 5-0 defeat to Birmingham and going to MK Dons on loan, a side he had been with as a youngster.

Kioso played 19 times, scoring four goals, recalled by Luton in January as cover, going on to start the 2-0 win at Reading and 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United, also coming off the bench against Bristol City too.

However he wasn't in the squad for the the last two games, with rumours swirling on deadline day he would be heading out once more.

That never materialised though and speaking to the club's official website, Jones knows the next few months are vital if Kioso is to have a future at Kenilworth Road, as he said: “We have to get to a point with Pete where we believe he will be a Luton Town player or we be fair to him and let him develop his career elsewhere.

"Pete signed for the club when I wasn’t here so it took me a bit of time to properly run my eye over him.

"I then saw him at Milton Keynes and Northampton especially, and believe he is at the level to play for us now.

"We recalled him to have a look and to cover, he did well in those games, and we believe it is the right thing now to keep him in because these next three months are a big three months for everyone at the football club, including Pete.

“We won’t keep Pete around if he won’t get game time.

"What we have to do now is test him and then we have a real big decision to make in the summer.

"I really hope Pete does well and integrates himself and shows that we can move forward with him, and he can move forward with us.”