No comment from Luton chief over reports of a deadline day bid for Stockport winger

Luton manager Jack Wilshere was remaining tight-lipped as to whether the Hatters made a deadline day move for Stockport County winger Jack Diamond earlier this week.

With speculation intensifying throughout Monday that Town were in for a midfielder, Aberdeen’s Leighton Clarkson and Hibernian’s Dylan Levitt, who both eventually earned moves to Blackpool and Leyton Orient respectively, then as time was ticking away, Sky Sports ran a story saying the Kenilworth Road club had lodged a bid of £750,000 for the former Sunderland youngster who has 11 goals and 10 assists in 75 games since moving to Edgeley Park in July 2024.

When that was supposedly rejected, it was then rumoured that Luton upped their offer to seven figures for the 26-year-old, but with no time for the other Hatters to get a replacement in, the deal wasn’t done and he remained in Greater Manchester. Although Wilshere admitted the club had been exploring the possibility of bringing one more than the two they did get in, midfield duo Davy van den Berg and Sverre Sandal both arriving, he wasn’t prepared to divulge whether one of those had been Diamond, saying: “There were one or two that we were looking at, but we weren't going to bring in someone just for another number.

"I wanted players who can come into the team, add quality, add hunger, and that didn't quite materialise. We were keeping our eye on one or two but it didn’t happen and I was more than happy to be in the position where we have this group we have now rather than getting a body in for the sake of it. I think we were linked with so many, and I actually enjoyed deadline day as while all the rumours were coming in, we were clear.

"We were clear with if we were going to add then it was going to be quality. We didn’t, so it wouldn’t be right for me to speak about Stockport’s players, or whoever else that we were linked with their players. We got what we wanted on deadline day. I was clear and aligned with everyone that we weren’t just going to add quantity, we were going to add quality that was going to come in and help the team and we did what we needed to do.”

With Town shelling out an undisclosed fee to bring in highly-rated Norwegian midfielder Sandal from Eliteserien side KFUM, plus turning Gideon Kodua’s loan move into a permanent one this afternoon, then Wilshere was happy with the backing he has received from the Hatters board since taking over. He was also more than aware that with financial rules changing for Town from next season regarding the amount they can spend, especially if they remain in League One, it means they couldn’t just go out and splash the cash, adding: “The club were clear with that with me and I understood that pretty quickly.

"It’s important that we understood it and we’re aligned with that and we’re all on the same page so it’s not creating any confusion as you’re not trying to get players that you know you’re not going to be able to get, you’re not going to try and reach for players that probably are a little bit too far our out of reach. We were clear with that and it gave us a clear focus of where to look. We knew the positions we wanted and I think we did a good job on that.

“Genuinely there were some ups and downs in the window, but I enjoyed it as I felt the full support from the club, from Gary (Sweet, chief executive), from the board. Everyone has backed me from the start in terms of we want to play a way that’s a little bit different to how Luton have played over the last few years and everyone’s been on board with it and that’s what it takes to be successful. Everyone has to be aligned from the top to the bottom of the club and we are. Everyone’s pushing in the right direction, we brought in players that I feel will help with that and that’s how we’re going to move forward.”