Luton Town are in the Premier League. We’re months on from the Hatters’ dramatic penalty shootout victory over Coventry City in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium, but fans of the Bedfordshire club will still be pinching themselves at the thought of their side competing in what is arguably Europe’s most elite division.
Who can blame them? A decade ago, Luton weren’t even in the Football League as they were plying their trade in the Conference. But this plucky outfit has fought in the face of adversity for the last 10 years and as a result of their sheer resilience have gone on a fairy-tale run that has seen them become the first-ever side to climb from Non-League to the Premier League.
Will their dream turn into a nightmare though? Well, not many fans or pundits are giving them a chance of survival and that’s fairly reflected in Luton’s Premier League relegation odds as the Hatters are as short as 4/11 to fall straight back through the trap door to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Only time will tell if Luton will go back down to the second tier, but they have a lot going against them — including their finances. The Hatters operate on a shoestring budget, but manager Rob Edwards has still been able to do some good business this summer, so let’s take a look at who has come through the doors at Kenilworth Road.
Ryan Giles – £5m
The most expensive signing of the summer for Luton, Ryan Giles’ services from Wolverhampton Wanderers set the club back a record transfer fee of £5m. The 23-year-old enjoyed a decent season on loan at Middlesborough last season and the left-back is a familiar face for Edwards as this will be the third time they have worked together.
Tahith Chong – £4m
Once on the books of Manchester United and very highly-rated at Old Trafford, Tahith Chong made just five appearances for the Red Devils and signed for Birmingham City last summer after an initial loan at St. Andrew’s. He featured 38 times for the Blues in the Championship last season and will get his chance to test himself back in the Premier League.
Mads Andersen – £3m
Mads Andersen joined Luton for £3m in early July. The Danish defender spent four years at fellow English side Barnsley, which for the most part was a rollercoaster ride. The 25-year-old helped them reach the Championship play-offs in 2021, losing to Swansea, before suffering relegation to League One the following year. He captained the side to the League One play-offs last season, but that also ended in defeat.
Marvelous Nakamba – £2.5m
An £11m signing that never worked out for Aston Villa, Marvelous Nakamba spent last season on loan at Luton Town and he instantly became a fan favourite at Kenilworth Road thanks to his performances in the middle of the park. The Hatters will be delighted to have the Zambian back on a permanent basis.
Thomas Kaminski – £2.5m
Luton spent a lot of the summer in pursuit of a new goalkeeper, with experienced names like Asmir Begovic once linked with the club, but they finally got their new shot-stopper when Thomas Kaminski put pen-to-paper on a switch from Blackburn Rovers. The 30-year-old made over 115 appearances for Blackburn in three seasons. He’s also been called up to the Belgium side on seven occasions but is yet to earn a cap.
Former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley has also come in free as he looks to rejuvenate his career. Scotland striker Jacob Brown is their latest signing, arriving from Stoke City for an undisclosed fee, while Chiedozie Ogbene was brought in from Rotherham for free. Issa Kabore is also on loan from Manchester City.
