Town reported to be in advanced talks to sign ex-Brentford and Oxford midfielder Baptiste

Luton are rumoured to be in advanced talks to sign former Brentford midfielder Shandon Baptiste on a free transfer.

The 26-year-old is currently a free agent after leaving the Gtech Community Stadium in the summer, not offered a new contract by Bees boss Thomas Frank, ending his four year stint in West London. Baptiste had started his career with Oxford United in 2017, having a loan spell with National League South side Hampton & Richmond, before breaking into the U’s first team.

He featured for Oxford in a League One clash against Town in October 2018, sent off for two bookings with 17 minutes to go as the Hatters came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 thanks to goals from James Collins and Dan Potts. Baptiste then suffered a number of shoulder dislocations, before a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in January 2019.

The midfielder was snapped up by Brentford 12 months later for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £2.25m, as while at the Bees, he also started the 2-1 Championship defeat at Kenilworth Road in February 2020, before suffering a knee injury as the club went up through the play-offs the following season.

Fit again for the start of the 2021-22 Premier League season, Baptiste scored in the 2-2 draw at Leeds United in December 2021, going on to make 68 league appearances for the Bees, 18 from the start, as he played 10 times in the top flight last term, coming on in the 3-1 victory over Luton in December, scoring the third goal from close range.

With Luton seeing Ross Barkley head to Aston Villa on Monday, while Sambi Lokonga returned to parent club Arsenal and Luke Berry leaving, Town are in the market to bolster their midfield berths, with TEAMtalk stating they are closing in on Baptiste, who has also played at international level for Grenada. He made his debut in the 5-0 friendly loss to Panama in October 2017, off the mark in a 2-2 draw at Trinidad & Tobago, with his third and last cap coming in a 4-2 defeat at Belize in March 2018.

When leaving Brentford in the summer, director of football Phil Giles said to the club’s official website about Baptiste: “We signed Shandon when we were in the Championship, when the aim was to achieve promotion to the Premier League. Shandon and Brentford have achieved that together, and he has gone on to be involved in some significant moments for us as a Premier League player for the last three seasons.

“In truth, I’m sure Shandon would want to be involved on the pitch more than he has been, which is why we feel it’s the right time to let him become a regular and key player at another club.”