Football
Man Utd could profit from Luton exodus as Prem clubs eye cut-price transfers
Luton are facing a fight to keep hold of some of their star players this summer following their heartbreaking relegation to the Championship
A number of Luton Town players are attracting Premier League interest following their relegation to the Championship.
Aston Villa remain on course to wrap up the permanent signing of Ross Barkley after holding productive talks with the Hatters over an early summer swoop for the 30-year-old midfielder. But wing-back Alfie Doughty is also on Brentford and Crystal Palace’s radar, meaning he could also seal an immediate return to the top-flight.
Meanwhile, centre-back Teden Mengi is also admired by the Eagles and Fulham as both London clubs scour the market for defensive reinforcements.
And as Mirror Football revealed back in February, Mengi has also been watched closely by Bayer Leverkusen’s Head of UK and Emerging Talents Matthew Green this season.
Mengi’s former club Manchester United would, however, be due a substantial cut of any future fee after including a notable sell-on clause in the deal that saw the 22-year-old defender swap Old Trafford for Kenilworth Road last summer.
Meanwhile, Luton CEO Gary Sweet has offered boss Rob Edwards a new lucrative contract to bolster the Hatters’ chances of promotion back to the Premier League. Sweet is also expected to oversee a busy transfer window as loanees Albert Sambi Lokonga and Issa Kabore will need to be replaced.
Dan Potts, Luke Berry, Fred Onyedinma, Elliot Thorpe and Admiral Muskwe will all be leaving the club upon the expiry of their current deals next month.
Luton have been tracking Blackburn Rovers forward Tyrhys Dolan for some time and he is expected to feature on their list of transfer targets. The Hatters have also been looking at Royal Antwerp midfielder Pierre Dwomoh, who is wanted by Leicester City.
Arsenal loanee Lokonga took Luton’s relegation personally following an enjoyable spell in Bedfordshire, stating he would like to return to Kenilworth Road one day.
He wrote on social media: “My journey with you has come to an end but my love and respect for you will stay forever Hatters! I wanted to thank you all, my teammates, coach, staff and fans for the moments that we have shared together, you guys have brought the best out of me this season despite the final result. I will be cheering you on and I know this club will have a great future! Love and peace.”
He has since confirmed he is set to leave Arsenal permanently this summer after holding honest talks with the Gunners hierarchy.
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