Luton Town will soon be getting preparations underway for the new season as they try to return to the Premier League immediately.
The Hatters will have different expectations on their shoulders in the Championship this time, given what they were able to achieve when they were last in the division.
It is the job of Rob Edwards to try and deliver on that, as the club will be hoping they can mount a serious push for promotion once again.
Luton already have a lot of talented players at their disposal for a season in the Championship, but with maybe one or two players leaving, Edwards will be keen to shuffle some things about.
It appears as though Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is someone Luton is keen on signing this summer.
Luton Town leads Blackburn Rovers in the Jesurun Rak-Sakyi race
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is likely to be a player who is much talked about in this transfer window, as it looks possible that he leaves Crystal Palace on loan.
The winger stayed with the Premier League side last season after impressing on loan at Charlton Athletic, but his campaign was hampered by injuries, and competition for places meant he didn’t feature as much as he liked.
Pre-season is a chance for him to impress at Palace, but there is also interest from teams in the Championship who are willing to take him on loan for the season.
🔝🗑 on the volley!
What a hit from Jesurun Rak-Sakyi 😮💨#EFL | @CAFCofficial pic.twitter.com/18lPPX16tE
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) February 5, 2023
Luton Town and Blackburn Rovers are two sides interested in signing Rak-Sakyi on loan from Crystal Palace, with the Hatters said to be leading the race.
It is believed that Luton think they can aid in the development of Rak-Sakyi and are willing to sign the attacker on loan for the entire 2024/25 season.
There is still a long way to go in terms of Luton signing Rak-Sakyi, but if they do manage to win the race, then it could spell bad news for current Luton winger Chiedozie Ogbene.
Luton signing Rak-Sakyi could be bad news for Chiedozie Ogbene
Luton signed Chiedozie Ogbene on a free transfer last summer after the winger left Rotherham United.
The Irishman was a standout performer for the Millers over a number of seasons, and that helped him secure his move to Luton.
The 27-year-old was an important figure for the Hatters in the Premier League campaign, as he played 30 times, 20 of which came as a starter.
Therefore, he was seen as an important player under Edwards, and he did repay the faith in some aspects, as he scored four goals, which was just below his xG of 4.25.
| Chiedozie Ogbene’s stats for Luton Town | |
|---|---|
| Apps | 36 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Stats as per Transfermarkt (As it stands on the 26th of June) | |
The winger was somewhat of a nuisance in front of goal, as he averaged 1.2 shots per game, and he could have added to his tally as he missed one big chance.
Ogbene was unable to replicate the same type of form in terms of assists, but it wasn’t without a lack of trying. The winger created five big chances and collected 0.9 key passes, but he was only able to record a single assist, as per Sofascore.com.
But with Luton now being linked with a move for Rak-Sakyi, it could spell potential bad news for Ogbene, as he may lose his regular place in the team.
This is because the Hatters are not going to sign the Crystal Palace winger and then sit him on the bench; the Premier League side is going to expect him to play week in and week out, as that is the reason why they have sent him out on loan to them.
Therefore, it could mean that Ogbene has to make way in the team for Rak-Sakyi to fit in.
Now, the Irishman could just move to the other wing, but it still means he has to change his game for Rak-Sakyi to fit in.
Either way, if Luton sign Rak-Sakyi, it could be bad news for Ogbene. It may not be in the short term, but as the season goes on, the Palace player could be more favoured than Ogbene, and that could see him more on the bench in this campaign.
Ogbene will still hope he has enough to offer to be part of Luton’s team, but if Rak-Sakyi joins, he could be a player that Edwards looks to move on to accommodate the winger and potentially other players in the team.
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