Luton Town have finally accelerated their months-long chase of Barnsley’s Luca Connell after submitting a six-figure bid.
The Hatters had eyed a January window move for the 25-year-old midfielder and were narrowly close to completing a deal before the Tykes pulled the plug due to their inability to find a replacement in time on deadline day.
Hatters Launch Efforts
They were once again linked with a move by Alan Nixon in the early stages of the summer window in the wake of both Luton and Plymouth Argyle missing out on Falkirk’s Dylan Tait, who landed at Scottish Premiership side Dundee United.
Now, according to Nixon in an update on his Patreon channel, Town are pressing on with their interest in Connell, with it being revealed they are lodging a £500,000 offer for the midfielder.
This contravenes previous claims made by Hatters boss Jack Wilshere, who firmly rebutted questions as to whether they would bring the Irishman to Kenilworth Road in the build-up to their match against Mansfield Town today.
Nixon also clarified that a Connell deal would not interfere with their other transfer business in midfield, with Manchester United’s Dan Gore poised for a move to Bedfordshire before Tuesday night, having also added Jamie Donley in the past 24 hours.
The former Celtic man was absent from the Barnsley squad that beat Leyton Orient on the road yesterday due to injury issues, which also ruled out his involvement in their cup win against Crewe Alexandra.
Connell was a key figure across Conor Hourihane’s squad during his final year in charge at Oakwell, playing in 41 of the club’s League One games last season, providing four goals and three assists, including finding the net against Luton in November.
Questions Still Remain
The case of Luca Connell remains an intriguing one, especially since Jack Wilshere promptly denied any interest in signing him in a previous press conference.
Nevertheless, Alan Nixon is now reporting that Luton Town are submitting a £500,000 offer to Barnsley for the 25-year-old, sparking this transfer saga back to life after months of interest from Kenilworth Road.
With Dan Gore still yet to arrive at the club in the wake of Jamie Donley’s loan move from Tottenham Hotspur, adding another midfield option will further bolster their ranks, but does create a massive headache as to who plays in Jack Wilshere’s plans.
Injuries have played a minor role in dictating Town’s squad selections as of late, with Kasey Palmer forced into a more defensive role as a result, limiting the former Hull City man’s impact on the attack.
Sverre Sandal and Jordan Clark are both closing in on injury returns, and given Wilshere’s past comments on the matter, it would be somewhat of a shock if this deal was to come to fruition, especially with Barnsley likely to need to find a replacement before they sanction a sale, the exact circumstances which stifled this deal in January.
