Luton boss reveals two positions he is looking to strengthen in

Hatters boss Jack Wilshere has revealed that he is looking to bring in another forward, plus a left winger, as he looks to fine-tune his squad for the upcoming League One campaign.

The Town chief has made three new additions since the summer transfer window opened for business, centre half George Johnston joining on a free transfer after leaving Bolton Wanderers, while Hull City midfielder Kasey Palmer agreed a permanent move for an undisclosed fee, with Newcastle United right back Harrison Ashby arriving on a season-long loan.

Wilshere has already begun cutting his numbers too, striker Cauley Woodrow heading to Wycombe Wanderers, with attackers Oli Lynch and Ethon Archer now spending the season with Port Vale and Bromley. The ex-England and Arsenal star, who is running the rule over ex-Arsenal youngster Harrison Dudziak after he was released by the Gunners, has spoken about his hopes of bringing back Emilio Lawrence from Manchester City on loan after he impressed at Kenilworth Road last term.

Once he had begun to adapt to the rigours of League One football, the Scotland U21 international was a permanent fixture on the left-hand side for the Hatters, meaning they are rather bare in that department currently. Gideon Kodua was used in that role during Saturday’s 5-0 friendly victory at Hitchin Town, with Dudziak operating there in the second period, then asked if that was an area he is looking to bolster, Wilshere said: “I think it’s with quality.

"My learning from last year was probably that rather than always thinking, right, we have to change the structure to change the swing of the game, sometimes you can just change personnel. If you think about it, for example, if you want to change the wingers, at the moment we’ve got Shayden (Morris) and Jake (Richards) on the right. In my opinion, Gideon (Kodua) is probably not a left winger and we spoke about that before, trying him more inside.

“Eventually we’re going to have to develop him more inside as that’s where I think we can get the most out of him. So if you look at it from that point of view, we don’t have a left winger, we don’t have the ability to change that. We lost Emilio out of the group that is now, so I think we want that, but we also know that it’s quality and we’re not just going to take anyone.”

Finally, with Jerry Yates and Lasse Nordas both on loan last season, plus Joe Gbode being borrowed by Woking too, then with the trio unlikely to remain in Bedfordshire, it means Wilshere wants further competition for Nahki Wells, who scored against the Canaries at the weekend and winter window addition Devante Cole, yet to find the net for the Hatters.

He continued: “When I first came in we had five or six number nines and that in my opinion is too much, but having three, and at the minute we’ve got two, is a healthy number to drive each other and to have options on the bench. Sometimes to have two options on the bench, sometimes just one option on the bench and then they have to compete against each other to try and get the shirt. So I think that is fair to say that we’re looking to strengthen in that as we know in this league the demands as well, so we’re looking at that.”

With Town back in action on Saturday when they head to League Two side Barnet to continue their preparations, on whether any deals are expected to be completed soon, Wilshere added: “Hopefully, we’re always working. We’re having conversations with players, I’m having conversations with players, but everything has to fit together.

"We’re working away, we’re not too far away from a couple, but also I feel like at times you say that you’re close to something and then you’re not. So we’re working and I’ve made it clear on what we need, what I think we need to help us take the next step, and we’re working hard to try and do that.”