Luton Town face two transfer concerns, one involves Teden Mengi | OneFootball

Luton Town will want to keep hold of their key players during the January transfer window.

Luton Town may be looking ahead to the January transfer window and thinking about ways in which they can improve their squad, but they must also be concerned that there might be interest in a couple of their own players.

The Hatters have failed to live up to expectations in the Championship following their relegation from the top flight last term and currently find themselves in the bottom half of the table despite having hoped to push for an immediate return to the Premier League before a ball had been kicked in August.

Rob Edwards saw a couple of important players leave Kenilworth Road during the summer, with Ross Barkley joining Aston Villa and Chiedozie Ogbene making a move to Ipswich Town, although the club also kept hold of a few players that attracted transfer interest, such as striker Elijah Adebayo, who was linked with Turkish giants Fenerbahçe.

Now, Luton may be preparing to strengthen their squad once the upcoming January transfer window opens as they look to climb the table during the remainder of the campaign, but they might also be wary that other clubs could sense an opportunity to lure one or two of their key players away.

Given that the Hatters have a mountain to climb if they are going to compete for promotion back to the Premier League this season, there is a risk that a couple of members of their squad could be tempted by a move. With that in mind, let's take a look at two players that Edwards will not want to see depart in January.

Teden Mengi

Defender Teden Mengi has been an important player for Luton since his arrival from Manchester United ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The 22-year-old made 30 appearances in the top-flight during his debut season at Kenilworth Road and has been a regular feature again this time around in the Championship.

However, the former Derby County and Birmingham City loanee is one player that could certainly attract interest in January, especially considering that Luton are underperforming this season.

Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen were reportedly keeping tabs on Mengi earlier this year, before Serie A side Torino came close to completing a deal to sign him in the summer following Luton's relegation back to the second tier.

It would be no huge surprise if a top-flight club in England or abroad made an approach to sign Mengi in January, and with it seeming unlikely that the Hatters will achieve promotion this season, the club may be concerned about whether he will want to stay if the right offer comes in.

Alfie Doughty

Alfie Doughty is another player that Luton may be concerned about keeping hold of in January, despite the fact that he signed a new contract in September.

The wing-back impressed in the Premier League last season, and he has picked up where he left off this term, having created the most chances and boasting the highest expected assists stat in the Championship ahead of Luton's trip to Norwich City this weekend.

When the 24-year-old penned his new deal earlier this season, he stated that he wanted to make a return to the Premier League with Luton, so now that is unlikely to happen this season, the club may be concerned that his head could be turned in January.

Both Brentford and Crystal Palace were linked with a move for Doughty during the summer transfer window, and while his value is protected by the new contract, Luton could still have concerns about keeping hold of him in January, especially considering that the Bees have limited options at left-back due to injuries sustained by Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey.