Luton Town primed to beat Plymouth Argyle to ex-Bolton Wanderers star | OneFootball

Luton Town are in pole position to sign defender George Johnston when his contract at Bolton expires in the coming weeks.

Luton Town are preparing for Jack Wilshere’s first full season in charge at Kenilworth Road, where promotion to the Championship will be the aim.

Even though there was disappointment at missing out on the play-offs last season, Wilshere did lead the team to success at Wembley as they won the EFL Trophy.

So, there is optimism around the Hatters right now, but it’s clear that a few tweaks are needed to the squad for Luton to be genuine automatic promotion contenders.

Luton Town emerging as frontrunners to sign George Johnston following Bolton release

And, it appears the club are making progress on that front, as the Bolton News has revealed that Luton are leading the race to sign George Johnston on a free transfer.

The defender was a hugely influential figure for the Trotters as they won promotion from League One last season, with no player in the squad playing more minutes than the 27-year-old.

Johnston was particularly impressive in the play-offs, starring as they recorded back-to-back clean sheets to overcome Bradford, and the captain was a key figure in the hammering of Stockport at Wembley.

Therefore, it came as a surprise when Bolton confirmed Johnston would be leaving when his contract expires this summer, and it prompted a scramble for his signature.

The update explains that the Bantams, Blackpool, Plymouth and Hearts were all tracking Johnston, but they add that Luton have ‘put together a strong contract offer’ that has seemingly made them favourites.

George Johnston would be a big signing for Luton Town

It’s no surprise that clubs are keen on Johnston, as he has proven himself to be a reliable League One performer for Bolton.

Like all players, there were times he struggled, but there’s a reason that Steven Schumacher and managers prior to the ex-Plymouth chief kept picking Johnston.

Not only is he a solid defender on the whole, but he is also a leader, and Wilshere will want to bring in good characters as well as good players this summer.

So, landing someone like Johnston, who captained a big club in Bolton, and has won promotion, ticks a lot of boxes for Luton, and the fact they are beating some League One rivals to his signature shows that it’s a real coup.

There is a lot of talent in the Luton squad, but they fell short due to showing too much inconsistency earlier in the campaign, as even a brilliant end to the season wasn’t enough to make the top six.

Whilst that was frustrating, it shows that Wilshere doesn’t need to oversee a transformation this summer. Instead, it’s about adding a few players who can raise the level, and help the team as they push for a top two place.

So, there’s not much to dislike about this deal from Luton’s perspective, and it’s perhaps a surprise that Bolton didn’t keep the ex-Wigan man on, even if the step-up to the Championship is a big one.

But, the player will want regular game time, and he should get that with the Hatters, and, providing it does go through, it would not be a shock if Johnston was celebrating another promotion in May 2027.