Lurking among the pages of one media source is an article that has left me confused and a little bewildered.
According to Nottingham Forest News, the Hatters have pulled out of the race to sign Ethan Horvath.
But what makes it bewildering is that our referenced source infers that the clubs had agreed a fee of a mere £1.5 million for the USA international.
Last season, Horvath, as Luton Town secured promotion via the play-off final, Horvath kept 20 clean sheets and looked solid behind a stoic Hatters defence.
After his loan spell ended, Horvath returned to Notingham Forest and I reckoned his transfer fee would be somewhere between £5 million and £8 million.
If this particular transfer rumour is true, I can’t help thinking that Luton Town would have got something of a bargain if the fee is as little as £1.5 million.
Or is there another reason, wages?
Is there someone else Rob Edwards and his recruitment team have their eyes on?
I guess only time will tell.
COYH’s
How Much Will Luton Pay For A Player This Transfer Window?
£5 million!
£8 million!
More Than £9 million!
Previous article by Mad Hatter
Luton Town Linked With Belgian Keeper As Transfer Speculation Ramps Up
Horvath was not responisble for 20 clean sheets it was the defence in front of him!! He is not a Prem Goal keeper and let a few goals in that he should have saved – Big Kev Dearden would not waste the money on Horvath
I’d imagine it was all of the reasons you mention MH. I know he kept 20 clean sheets. We know he was well protected by a strong defence. I was never convinced he was the right keeper for us. I would have been happier with Shea or Isted, and that was before Isted had a storming season at Barnsley. I always felt that Ethan had a mistake in him and he made a few that cost goals and a few more that he got away with. I believe the club felt similarly and decision on him was set when he gave the ball away from an innocuous back pass after panicking because it was played to him to his wrong foot! If he can’t use his left foot to pass it safely under very little pressure he’s not going to be a Premier League goalkeeper, nice lad though he may be. There is a reason Forest didn’t take him into the PL with them.
If we kept him fine, but would still need another keeper as competition. Shea is not PL – sorry.
Hovarth was good but we can do better, wouldn’t be surprised is we buy two keepers and sell Shea
Wages
EH was never convincing as a no.1 goalkeeper. Made a few big costly errors and kicking could be erratic. Didn’t save any pens he faced and rarely made any exceptional saves. The reason for the decent clean sheet record was chiefly down to an excellent back 5 and a brilliant team ethic of defending/pressing from the front, with Elijah & Carlton setting the tone. EH was solid and a gd pro but not surprised if rumour is true and we’re looking elsewhere for no.1. Not keen on Begovic either. Much rather give Shea a proper shot. Nicholls is decent if that interest is true.
Can only think a free transfer with money spent on him would allow higher wage for incomer . The only thing that makes sense.
I think there is better out there ,as said above never saved a penalty and slow to get down to shots I believe the defence saved him more than he saved . Coyh
If he’s priced out for salary it’s understandable, but think a lot of the criticism is undue… Missed golden glove by 1 clean sheet last year (and the winner was also in that penalty shoot out)… Wish him well in the future if it doesn’t come off.
Kaminski known for a few errors and the transfer fee ridiculous so definitely worse options being discussed.
I suspect that Rob Edwards would want a keeper whose kicking is more consistent. Horvath struggled with both accuracy and distance at times. We will need to be hitting Morris and Adebayo more frequently when we go long or the ball will be coming straight back.
I also had some concerns about Horvath’s shot stopping from distance. This is something that could be exposed in the Premier League.