What Luton Town's annual wage bill is as Jack Wilshere begins new Hatters era | OneFootball

Luton Town recently appointed Jack Wilshere as their manager

Luton Town recently appointed Jack Wilshere as their new manager.

The Hatters have experienced a rollercoaster last few years, after achieving the incredible feat of promotion to the Premier League in 2023.

Under Rob Edwards, Luton put up a strong fight against relegation from the top-flight but were ultimately unsuccessful and couldn’t bounce back in the Championship.

Edwards was dismissed as the Kenilworth Road outfit flirted with another drop to League One and Matt Bloomfield subsequently took over as manager.

He couldn’t keep the Hatters in the second-tier but was afforded the opportunity to lead them forward in League One.

However, an uninspiring start to the season saw Luton fail to fight towards the top of the division, which led to Bloomfield receiving his marching orders after just 10 months.

Wilshere has now been selected as the man to turn the Hatters’ fortunes around, in what is his first full-time job as a first-team manager in professional football.

The former Arsenal midfielder took his very first steps in the game in Luton Town’s Centre of Excellence, before joining the Gunners when he was nine.

With an exciting combination of Luton and Wilshere about to be tested in the third-tier, Football League World have taken a look at how much the club are currently paying their players on an annual basis.

Luton Town’s annual wage bill following Jack Wilshere appointment

When comparing Luton Town’s annual payments to the rest of League One, it doesn’t make for comfortable viewing if you’re a Hatters supporter.

According to capology, the Kenilworth Road outfit’s estimated annual wage bill is £17,712,400.

This is by far the division’s highest estimated total, with Cardiff City’s £13,806,000 the closest contender.

Current league leaders Stevenage are believed to be paying £5,563,600 on their wages, which is a sharp contrast to how much Luton are forking out.

Luton Town’s annual wage bill highlights why Matt Bloomfield was dismissed

Although Bloomfield’s results in charge of Luton weren’t too concerning, their annual wage bill does a lot of explaining as to why he was dismissed.

The Hatters are paying their players more than any other team in the division, which naturally means that the higher-ups at the club would expect them to be fighting towards the top of the league.

That hasn’t been the case this season, with Luton 11th in the standings after 11 matches.

Therefore, although they weren’t directly threatened with a fate such as relegation, Bloomfield was severely underperforming, and a change had to be made.

Time will tell whether Wilshere can perform to a higher standard, but he certainly has the financial backing to achieve his goals.