Jesurun Rak-Sakyi features: 2 Luton Town deals that will push August 30th transfer deadline
Luton Town are preparing for life back in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League last season.
The Hatters were only promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs in the 2022-23 season, and while they performed admirably in the top flight, they were relegated after a disappointing campaign that saw them accumulate just 26 points.
There were fears among Luton supporters that the club could lose manager Rob Edwards this summer after he was said to be under consideration as a potential replacement for Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town.
However, McKenna remained at Portman Road, and Edwards has ended speculation over his future by signing a new four-year contract at Kenilworth Road, and he will be hoping to achieve a second promotion to the Premier League with the Hatters next season.
Luton have made two new signings so far this summer, with Shandon Baptiste and Reuell Walters joining the club on free transfers from Brentford and Arsenal respectively.
There have also been a number of departures, with the likes of Gabriel Osho, Dan Potts, Ryan Giles, Luke Berry, Fred Onyedinma, Ross Barkley and Admiral Muskwe among those who have left the club.
With over a month until the closure of the transfer window, there are likely to be plenty more incomings and outgoings for the Hatters, and we looked at two sagas that could go on right until the deadline.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is one of the most in-demand players on the market currently, with a number of Championship clubs chasing his signature.
Rak-Sakyi scored an impressive 15 goals and provided nine assists in 49 appearances in all competitions during his loan spell at Charlton Athletic in League One in the 2022-23 season, and despite widespread interest last summer, Palace opted to keep him at Selhurst Park.
The 21-year-old made a handful of substitute appearances for the Eagles in the early weeks of last season, but he suffered a hamstring injury in October that ruled him out until late April, and after he returned to fitness, manager Oliver Glasner admitted it would be tough for him to break into the team.
Glasner’s comments suggest another loan spell could be on the cards for Rak-Sakyi next season, and he has been linked with a number of second tier clubs in recent weeks, including Luton, Hull City, QPR and Sheffield United, while newly-promoted Premier League side Southampton have also joined the race.
Sky Sports have reported that Rak-Sakyi is keen to play for Russell Martin at St Mary’s, but “Palace do not want to see him move to a Premier League rival” and instead plan to “loan him into the Championship for his development”.
The Hatters will be hopeful they can convince the Eagles to allow Rak-Sakyi to come to Kenilworth Road, but with such strong competition for the winger, it seems unlikely his future will be resolved until late in the window.
Teden Mengi
As shown by the departures of Osho and Barkley, Luton could be vulnerable to losing some of their stars this summer following relegation.
One player the Hatters will be desperately hoping to keep hold of is defender Teden Mengi, but that could be difficult as he is attracting significant interest from elsewhere.
According to Foot Mercato, French side Nice are eyeing Mengi as a potential replacement for Jean-Claude Todibo, while he has also been linked with Premier League duo Fulham and Crystal Palace, and Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are believed to have watched him in action last season.
Mengi impressed in what was a tough campaign for Luton last season, scoring one goal in 35 appearances in all competitions, and he made his debut for England U21s as a substitute in a 7-0 win over Luxembourg in March.
Foot Mercato claim that the Hatters value Mengi between €12-14 million, but they may need to hold out until the end of the window to receive the maximum possible fee for the 22-year-old.
