Luton Town eyeing summer transfer swoop for Barnsley star | OneFootball

Luton Town are reportedly keeping tabs on Barnsley midfielder Luca Connell ahead of a potetnial summer move

Luton Town narrowly missed out on a place in the League One play-offs on the final day despite a 3-2 victory away to Bolton Wanderers, and preparations for a second consecutive season in the third tier are well underway.

It's been a turbulent period for Luton, not just this campaign, but over the past decade or so; rising from non-league all the way to the Premier League, to suffer back-to-back relegations down to League One, and now preparing for yet another year in the third tier.

Matt Bloomfield was unable to get the Hatters ticking at the beginning of the season and was subsequently dismissed and replaced by former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere.

Wilshere, taking his first job in management, despite his best efforts, was unable to guide Luton into the top six, and will be keen to come back with a vengeance next time around, and has seemingly already put plans in place to do so by signing one of their division rivals' best players.

Luton Town are interested in signing Barnsley's Luca Connell this summer

When it comes to the midfield area, Luton don't exactly lack options.

The Hatters possess the likes of Shandon Baptiste, Jordan Clark, George Saville, Liam Walsh, Davy van den Berg, Sverre Sandal, and Kasey Palmer, the latter of whom was on loan from newly-promoted Hull City.

However, Wilshere, a former midfielder himself, is still seemingly unimpressed by his options, and according to Alan Nixon's Patreon, Luton are keen to add Barnsley's Luca Connell to their ranks this summer.

Connell, 25, broke onto the scene as a youngster with Bolton Wanderers, subsequently earning a move to Glasgow with Celtic, where he struggled to break into the first team, heading out on two separate loan spells to Queens Park FC.

He'd return to England with Barnsley in 2022 and has gone on to make 171 appearances for the Tykes across all competitions, remaining as one of the first names on the team sheet throughout that period, regardless of whichever manager he has played under.

Nixon also states that Luton tried to lure Connell to Kenilworth Road as recently as January, but Barnsley's inability to sign a replacement in time meant that that deal was unable to be completed.

Now, it looks as though the Hatters will try their luck once more, although Nixon cautions that Championship sides have also taken a look at the Irishman over a potential move.

Whatever the case, Barnsley face a battle to keep hold of their star midfielder beyond this summer window, and with Luton lurking, his next destination could well be in Bedfordshire.

Jack Wilshere will be hoping for a strong summer at Luton Town amid Luca Connell links

Having missed out on the chance of promotion this time around, Wilshere will be eager to write those wrongs heading into the next campaign.

The Englishman is still very much learning on the job, having only previously managed with Arsenal youth teams and worked as a coach at Norwich City, and will feel he has a point to prove as a head coach.

The 34-year-old is among the youngest bosses not just in League One, but in the English football pyramid, and will be keen to take this opportunity with Luton with both hands.

Adding Connell to their ranks will only help their chances heading into next season, whilst weakening a direct rival in the process.

It's a big summer ahead for the Hatters, who are seemingly looking to kick things off with the addition of Connell.