Although the Hatters will be playing EFL Championship football next season, I, like most, will be keeping a watchful eye on the Premier League.
Indeed, it will be hard not to considering how many live fixtures will be pushed our way by Sky Sports.
My main point of interest will be whether any of the three promoted clubs – Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton can remain in the top flight of English football for more than just a single season.
Last season, 2023/2024, the three clubs promoted from the EFL Championship the previous season, 2022/2023, occupied the three relegation places, Sheffield United, Burnley and, of course, Luton Town.
On gaining promotion strengthening of the team is the number one priority, but how much should be spent is a determining factor for many a season to come, especially if you are relegated after the thirty-eight games.
The Hatters, after numerous dalliances with financial disaster in the past, out of the three clubs, chose to spend very wisely, aiming to bring in new players at respectable prices while also benefiting from the loan system, a thrifty approach that didn’t quite see survival attained in a struggle that almost went right to the wire.
Looking at the three promoted clubs from the EFL Championship last season, it is Ipswich Town that intrigue me the most. While Leicester City and Southampton have experience of playing Premier League football, Ipswich Town, like us, have been on something akin to a fairy tale, rising from League One to the Premier League in successive promotion seasons.
However, looking at the summer transfer deals done so far, it appears that Ipswich Town have decided to spend, spend, spend to try and preserve their status as a Premier League with the following deals already sealed:
• Omari Hutchinson – £20 million
• Jacob Greaves – undisclosed (circa £15 million)
• Liam Delap – undisclosed (circa £20 million)
• Arijanet Muric – undisclosed (circa £10 million)
showing that circa £65 million has already been spent with transfer tittle-tattle also linking the Suffolk based club with a move for the prolific Blackburn Rovers forward – Sami Szmodics – which will, if the deal goes ahead, increase their spending total even further, with my calculations not including any other players they may have snapped up that I’m unaware of.
Clearly, Ipswich Town have adopted a different survival option than we did, now whether they’ll be successful in their intentions or not remains debatable and we’ll only know the answer come next May, or even earlier if their plans do not come to fruition.
But, in bringing this article to a climax, I’d like your opinion on whether, perhaps, the Hatters might still be playing top-flight football if we’d been willing to splash more of the cash that came our way or were we right to be frugal knowing that Premier League cash will safeguard our future for many years to come, even more so with Power Court to be funded in an economy where price rises continue to affect us all.
Please feel free to have your say in the comment facility beneath this article.
COYH
Luton Town - Which Position Needs Strengthening The Most?
Defence!
Midfield!
Attack!
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Personally the owners did all they could power court had to take the bulk of the money we still invested in Barkley and longi they don’t come cheap so all in all I’m not complaining.Its this season that’s worrying me. If last season in theory we banked £60 mill for power court and used the rest for transfers and improvements in an around the club. This season supposedly we received £90 mill then if £50mill goes to power court that leaves £40 mill in theory plus wages saved from released players and any future transfers. Then surely we can afford players 2 or 3 in the £7 to 12 million bracket to boost the team for a promotion shot . And yes we are going on only figures claimed in the media but so far we have had no sign of big players coming in just our usual type of business we do.
couldn’t agree more Chris, 2 players in, loads let go or sold, our squad is going to be woefully short!
I agree Chris, the club has proven to be very prudent with its finances without a lot of money and now that we have some cash surely they can be just as prudent spending wisely. I think we have an opportunity to get straight back to th PL and it would be a mistake not to strengthen because we thought we didn’t need to. We need to replace a lot of lost players and if I’m correct we are currently around 10 mill in the black from the Barkley and Giles sales. Hope something happens soon as they are missing the preseason gelling
I’m sure Rob Edwards and his staff know that we ideally need an experienced midfield general and a central defender. My fear is losing either Morris or Doughty .Eli’s injury record will put a lot of clubs off. It’s always uncomfortable preseason.
No need to panic yet, but it would be nice to see somebody recruited who could do that Barkley role (yeah, like they grow on trees) and we could keep the option of that style of play.
Maybe I’m biased, I saw our 4-0 win against Brighton replayed on Sky Sports on Sunday and that press and movement through the middle and wings was incredible to watch.
When we came down from the Premier my thoughts were yes we would lose Lokonga, Barkley & Osho but such was the quality of the squad we only needed maybe a couple or so quality additions. That sounds decent enough in itself then we have to account for the long-term injuries to so many of our defenders plus the Tom Lockyer situation and that’s without the absence of Nakamba; personally with that type of injury, I rather expect Nakamba will not seriously contribute for the first half of the season. As for the other injured players, I guess with luck they may reach match fitness as opposed to availability by say October. We therefore have gaps we need to fill, maybe temporarily until the injured players return: loans are a possibility of course. Sadly we have trumped up the two freebies we have signed to date; one simply learning his trade & one with a poor injury record; no defensive midfield player but praise the Lord, we have Power Court on the far horizon! My expectations as we stand on 23.07 are to avoid relegation and maybe reach mid-table safety.
As I’ve hinted in previous post difficulties in various transactions are holding things up transfer wise .so I don’t think we will be ready for the new season starts with what might be our best team it is what it is and we might have to ride out early season before we push on so be patient everyone.
Think the Club was and is prudent and for us that’s the right approach.
Of more concern is being ready for the upcoming season.We’ve lost Kibbore,Lockyer,Barkley,Osho,Lakonga are at risk with Mengi and maybe others and still have a long injury list of players who have been out months and will need time to get match fit even if they were ready today.
It’s looking likely that we will have a slow start.
Need to speed up
don’t think anyone would have thought our injury list would be so big, even before the season has started. i realy hope that injuries will not be a major factor to us this season.sure that R.E. and his team are doing there best to attract players,never an easy task. would be nice to see some progress on the new stadium this year, give people something to look forward to. we all know how difficult the championship is, and as always a lot of very good teams. lets buckle up and enjoy the ride. COYH.
I guess we are all optimistic for a good season, but mixed with a bit of trepidation. Replacing Barkley will be the most difficult. I watched the friendly in Slovenia at the weekend and there was very little midfield control. Mostly long rather aimless balls. I know it is early days so hope more cohesion will follow.
Ipswich are a far bigger club than the Hatters and seem to have deep pockets. Whether it’ll be enough, time will tell.
Still gotta balance the books iaw the financial regulations!
Don’t see the panic to go out and spend. 9 times out of 10 nothing happens until the final week of the window. As chris has already stated, watch this space, there are irons in the fire. But also our club will not be held to ransom, or bring anyone for the sake of it. Lets just be happy with fact that luton town are run properly.
The priority has to be Power Court.
A lot has been put aside already but what if building and labour costs suddenly soar again.
Or if they discover new problems when preparing the land and redirecting the river.
Or if new costs arise once the stadium starts getting built.
The club has to ensure plenty of money is put aside to account for any financial surprises.
Once Power Court is all done, our future is secure, then the team will come first.
Besides, we got promoted into the Prem with a team that was not as good as we have now. Even the players who were last here in the Championship with us, are far better now.
a great perspective
Totally agree Paul…..
The club had it right. The long term security of the club is more important than splashing £80 million plus on a gamble to stay in the Premiershite for possibly only another season.
Premier league has to be the goal. With that achieved everything gets better financially including power court costs. That essentially IS the long term security of the club. Can we get up this year with our current squad? Only time will tell. With so many leaving and so many injuries it’s not surprising that some supporters are getting twitchy, including myself, however no one doubts the clubs stewardship. I remember last year some people were very nervous spending a club record 5 mill on players, Power Court may be the future of the club but in reality it’s only a part of it. Cast yourself back to 2020, what would you rather have, a shiny new empty stadium costing money or 100mill a year guaranteed from premier league membership? Make no mistake, Premier league is the clubs goal, and to grow and stay there we need to adapt. The club knows this all too well. Power court is the carrot we collect along the way
Agree with everyone who says new stadium has to be the priority. we have been waiting for nearly 70 years with lots of unfilled promises. Now it really seems a reality’.
Let’s hope for a good season vying for at least a place in the top 6.
I have confidence that the management will be able to strengthen the team within our financial limits.
Too early to panic, leave that until January!
Absolutely feel that if the Hatters had been a little more adventurous in the transfer market then we would probably still be in the Premiership!