Luton Town transfer bid rejected for 17-goal striker | OneFootball

The Hatters' first approach for Richard Kone has been knocked back

Luton Town have seen a transfer approach for in-form Wycombe Wanderers striker Richard Kone knocked back, according to reports, as new Hatters' boss Matt Bloomfield looks to raid his former club to boost his new side's chances of surviving a shock relegation this season.

Kone has experienced a quick rise to EFL stardom over the last few years, as he was playing for Essex Senior League side Athletic Newham just over a year ago, after first arriving in the United Kingdom to play in the Homeless World Cup for the Ivory Coast in 2019.

He has been a regular scorer in League One since a move to Adams Park last January, and his impressive form this season has seemingly caught the attention of numerous clubs in the Championship ahead of a potential move this month.

Luton have really struggled in their return to the second-tier this term, and with Rob Edwards recently relieved of his duties and Matt Bloomfield now in charge of the Hatters after leaving his post at Wycombe last week, the ex-Chairboys boss is now reportedly targeting a reunion with Kone to help bolster his attacking options.

Wycombe Wanderers have rejected Luton Town's bid for Richard Kone

Football League World exclusively revealed the Hatters' interest in Kone prior to boss Bloomfield's switch to the Championship side last month, with Luton having sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old on several occasions this season.

It now looks as if Bloomfield's arrival has acclerated their pursuit of his services this month, with Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke claiming that Luton have seen an official bid to sign Kone rejected by Wycombe, with the fee put forward currently unclear at this moment in time.

Wycombe are understandably desperate to keep hold of their star man for the duration of this term, as they are currently sitting second in League One, and are expected to announce their new man at the helm by the end of the month, according to the Bucks Free Press, with development coach Sam Grace currently in charge on an interim basis.

Luton, however, are in desperate need of new blood in attack, and Bloomfield will know all about Kone's talents, so is sure to have made him a transfer priority this month, particularly after seeing his new side draw a blank in his first game as manager against Preston North End, and neither of their two goals in a 3-2 defeat to Oxford came from a forward.

Richard Kone looks ready for the step-up to the Championship

Kone was being courted by both Premier League and EFL teams throughout his time in non-league, but he joined Wycombe last January after an extended trial, and he made an immediate impact with a goal in the EFL Trophy quarter-finals on his debut for the club.

He finished his first half-season in professional football with four goals and four assists in 21 games in all competitions, and has kicked on even further this time around to become one of League One's leading marksmen, with 17 strikes and two assists in 35 games in league and cup up to now to likely win numerous Championship suitors alongside Luton ahead of a potential move away from Adams Park this month.

The 21-year-old signed a new two-year deal with the Chairboys in November, likely to increase his wages to better reflect his worth to the club, but it remains to be seen what kind of fee it would take to prise him from their grasp in the coming weeks.

Luton's strikers have flattered to deceive this season, with Carlton Morris on seven league goals so far, Elijah Adebayo on five and Jacob Brown on three strikes, while only four Championship teams have scored less than the Hatters as a team up to now.

While their first bid for Kone has been rejected, given his pre-existing relationship with Bloomfield, and the Hatters' need to bolster their strike-force this month, this certainly feels like a deal to keep a keen eye on as the window progresses.