Wilshere confirms Town rejected deadline day bid for Keeley

Hatters boss Jack Wilshere confirmed the club rejected a bid for goalkeeper Josh Keeley during Tuesday’s transfer deadline day.

The Irish international, who kept his first clean sheet of the season during Tuesday night’s 2-0 win over Stockport County, and first since the 2-0 win at Rotherham United on April 21, was interesting Championship outfit Millwall. Rumours circulated that the Lions submitted an offer of around £1.5m for the 23-year-old, who has played 52 times for Luton after arriving from Tottenham Hotspur last summer under previous boss Matt Bloomfield.

He has gone on to remain number one since Wilshere took over in October last year, winning his first full cap for Ireland in a 5-0 friendly win over Grenada in May as well. With Millwall eventually signing Stevenage’s Filip Marschall as cover for Max Crocombe, then asked if there had been an offer submitted, Wilshere said: “Yes. I love Josh, we love Josh and I think it’s a credit to the goalkeeping coach, the goalkeeping department, on how he’s developed since he’s come here, but we want Josh here with us. He loves us!”

Town made their own move ahead of the 11pm deadline, signing Ipswich Town youngster Tudor Mendel on a loan deal until January, the winger becoming Luton’s eighth signing of the summer, joining George Johnston, Kasey Palmer, Harrison Ashby, Callum Marshall, Emilio Lawrence, Jamie Donley and Dan Gore in arriving.

Asked whether the Hatters had been in for any late deals themselves, and to reflect on the transfer window as a whole, Wilshere stated: No, I was there to 11 with Gary (Sweet, CEO), having fish and chips which was nice, but no, it was more the outs we were focusing on, we were done. I’m really happy, thankful to the recruitment team, to the club, for supporting me.

"We worked really hard over the summer, before the summer, towards the end of last season. How do we want to look, what type of player do we want, what type of character, profile do we want? But I’m really pleased with how it went because there was never any panic. We knew what we wanted to do, we knew the areas we wanted to bring in, but maybe because it was my first proper window, at times, I was like, let’s get everyone.

"We pushed the trip to Spain a little bit later than normal just to try and get as much as we can, but then there were players, Gore, Donley, who came out a little bit later because of the World Cup and the pre-season they had with their first teams. We always knew that was the case and I'm really happy with how it went.”

Two players who remained at Kenilworth Road after the domestic window shut were striker Lasse Nordas and defender Teden Mengi, the pair both told they can leave Bedfordshire after failing to feature in a single match-day squad or during pre-season either. Whether they can still depart, Wilshere, speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio, added: “Yes, I’m not sure what windows are open, that's not my strength, but I know there are some and we’re working on it.”