Gillingham FC dubbed "very sensible" for Luton Town, Joe Gbode decision | OneFootball

FLW’s Gillingham fan pundit has commented on Joseph Gbode’s departure to Luton Town.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Gillingham have had a superb start to the new League Two season.

The Gills sit at the summit of the fourth-tier table and are unbeaten from their opening six league games, winning four and drawing two.

Gareth Ainsworth’s men travel to Bromley for the late kick-off on Saturday evening, with their opponents sitting third, so it promises to be an enthralling encounter to follow in the early stages of the campaign.

Over the course of the summer transfer window, Gillingham sanctioned the exit of a significant portion of players, including 20-year-old striker Joseph Gbode, who has stepped up to League One by joining Luton Town.

Football League World exclusively revealed that the fee was in the region of £300,000, with some debating whether the deal was a good one or not for the club to accept given his potential.

With this news in mind, FLW’s Gillingham fan pundit offered his thoughts over the deal, and whether he could see Gbode going all the way to becoming a Premier League level player.

Gillingham “sensible” to accept Luton Town offer for Joseph Gbode

Speaking to Football League World, Gillingham fan pundit Rhys Mortley believes that the club were “sensible” to accept Luton Town’s offer for striker Joseph Gbode due to his underwhelming goalscoring record, while he thinks it will take multiple seasons for the forward to attempt to climb up the English pyramid.

Mortley said: “So on Joseph Gbode moving to Luton, I know it was listed as an undisclosed fee, but as you say, roughly in the region of £300,000, so for a 20-year-old with three goals in 34 League Two appearances, I would argue that's very sensible business from Gillingham, but only if there's a strong sell-on and add-ons built in part of that deal, with those clauses I call it a good deal, but without them, which I doubt there are, but without them, it would be a little light given his age and potential upside.

“As for the player, the tools are there. He's quick, works hard out of possession and runs in the channels pretty well, but he's still raw in the box and needs sharper decision-making up top, so to reach Championship level, he would need a season of double-figure goals at senior level and show a bit more consistency.

“Luton have probably already thought about that and would likely manage that with a targeted loan or some form of development plan. That's what these kind of clubs do.

“The Premier League potentially, is a bit of a stretch today, not impossible, but it would take a clear year-on-year jump, so yeah, I don't know about that one.

“However, everything suits Gillingham now and the next steps of Luton will decide how high the ceiling is for Gbode.”

Joseph Gbode goal record means Gillingham have made the right decision

At 20, Joseph Gbode is a player who has plenty of room to grow and develop, but Gillingham would have expected a better goal threat from their attacker if they were to be set on keeping him at the Priestfield Stadium.

He has only registered four goals from his last 38 appearances in the second-tier, and the money received for him will boost the coffers significantly and allow that money to be reinvested into the playing squad later down the line.

It would have felt like a major blow had Gbode been regularly finding the back of the net and been a major asset to a promotion push forming, but it seems the club have got a sizeable sum of money for someone who has a long way to go before he can be a hit in League One.