"A big blow" - Pundit issues Elijah Adebayo warning to Luton Town as Everton plot deal | OneFootball

Adebayo is already on the Toffees' radar ahead of the January transfer window

Carlton Palmer believes it would be a huge blow for Luton Town to lose the services of Elijah Adebayo in January, as the striker has re-emerged as a key target for Everton in the January transfer window.

The Hatters striker hit double figures in the club's solitary Premier League campaign last term, as despite the best efforts of himself and Carlton Morris in the centre-forward department, Rob Edwards' side were relegated straight back to the Championship.

As is so often the case in such circumstances, Luton saw plenty of interest emerge in their key performers from the top flight campaign, which did see the likes of Ross Barkley and Chiedoze Ogbene move to Aston Villa and Ipswich Town respectively.

Adebayo had emerged as a target for Sean Dyche's men earlier in the summer, but a deal never progressed between the two clubs.

Both Everton and Luton have started their respective league campaigns in dismal fashion, but a recent update on the 26-year-old's immediate future could prove to be a crushing blow to the second tier side's eventual aims.

Carlton Palmer reacts as Everton set to prioritise Elijah Adebayo raid

Amid the previous links between Adebayo and the Merseyside outfit back in May, a recent report from The Sun claims that Dyche expects to lose the services of Dominic Calvert-Lewin at some stage, and would have looked to acquire Adebayo last week had the England international moved away from L4.

However, with bids for Calvert-Lewin, who is out-of-contract next summer, expected, Dyche is set to rekindle his interest in the former Walsall man, who is valued by his current employers in the region of £15-20m, with Crystal Palace also having the big striker on their radar.

Speaking exclusively to FLW, Palmer believes Adebayo's traits would make him a good fit for the Toffees, as well as being a huge blow to Luton's promotion aims.

"Life is always tough for Sean Dyche and Everton," he began. "Season after season, he has to deal with the difficulties at the football club and always manages to come up trumps, and this season will be no different despite having a really terrible start to the season with three defeats."

"They also have a problem with Dominic Calvert-Lewin entering the final year of his contract," Palmer continued. "There's been a lot of interest from Premier League clubs for him, and it's almost certain that he will leave the club in January."

"That being said, Everton have already lined up his replacement in the form of Luton Town's Elijah Adebayo," the pundit stated.

"The 26-year-old made 27 appearances last season and scored 10 goals in a side that got relegated."

"Of course, Sean Dyche is looking at that and saying, 'if we can create the chances then I'm sure Adebayo will score the goals we need'. He's big, he's robust, and Luton Town are open to letting him go if they got a bid of £15-20m," Palmer added.

"We're four games in to the season and Adebayo isn't off the mark in the Championship as of yet. Luton themselves aren't having a great start to the season. I tipped them to get promoted, but I still think they'll be in the shake-up come the end of the season."

"But, obviously, it would be a big blow to lose somebody like Adebayo," the former England defender declared. "After four games, they sit second-bottom in the table with three defeats and one draw."

"They may be on one point, but the teams currently in a play-off spot are only on seven or eight points, so I do believe that Luton Town will kick on."

Palmer concluded: "It would be disappointing for Luton to lose him, because if you think, he scored 10 goals in the Premier League, he could score 20 goals in the Championship. He's yet to get off the mark, but Everton have made him their top target for when Calvert-Lewin moves on."

Elijah Adebayo is essential to Luton Town's potential turnaround

Regardless of how dismal the start of the season has been for Luton, once off the mark, the likes of Morris and Adebayo will be essential to any form of progression up the table, having hit 28 goals between them in the Hatters' promotion-winning campaign of two seasons ago.

However, a season in the Premier League can so often change the trajectory of a player's career even further, and that looks set to be the case for the man who cost Luton just £250,000 in January 2021, which included a hat-trick against Brighton and Hove Albion in January.

The hallmarks of a Sean Dyche side have always centered around a physical presence as the focal point of his attack, which Calvert-Lewin has been utilised as, but the former Sheffield United man has so often been left unavailable through injury problems, as well as only finding the net 12 times in the last three full seasons.

In the short-term, Adebayo must focus on all things Luton, as a strong run of form could almost see this move become a certainty before the January window opens, particularly if Everton and Calvert-Lewin remain stalled in contract talks amid previous interest from Newcastle.