Leyton Orient told to seal 'dream' move for ex-Aston Villa boss if Richie Wellens leaves for Luton Town | OneFootball

Leyton Orient face a battle to keep Richie Wellens as Blackpool and Luton Town consider the 45-year-ol to become their new boss.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leyton Orient face a battle to keep hold of Richie Wellens as League One rivals Blackpool and Luton Town chase the highly-rated manager.

The 45-year-old joined the O’s in 2022, and he has built a successful team since his arrival, which included winning League Two in 2023, whilst they lost the play-off final last season to Charlton, which denied them another promotion.

Despite a high turnover of players, Wellens continues to build a stylish, attacking side, so it’s perhaps no surprise that he is attracting attention from other clubs in the EFL.

Luton Town and Blackpool are interested in Leyton Orient’s Richie Wellens

It has been reported that Blackpool and Luton, who both recently sacked Steve Bruce and Matt Bloomfield respectively, are admirers of Wellens, who would command a compensation fee of around £1m.

Naturally, this development has concerned Orient supporters, who are delighted with the work that Wellens has done over the years.

And, when quizzed by FLW on the prospect of losing Wellens, Leyton Orient fan pundit Alex admitted that it would be a significant blow for the club, even if he could understand the appeal of Luton to Wellens, whilst he had an ambitious name in mind when it came to a potential replacement, as he urged director of football Martin Ling to tap into his contacts in the game.

“I’m absolutely gutted to be honest. Wellens has been the reason we got out of League Two as champions, which was our first league title in 50 years. He has got us playing the most beautiful brand of football and he gets Orient. He understands us as a club. He has been a fighter for the club, and to be honest, as a character, tactician and leader, it would be really, really difficult to replace him.

“In terms of Luton, it makes a lot of sense. They still have a year left of parachute payments. They’re a bigger club, he will be on bigger wages, and it’s only half an hour away.

“Orient are typically a club that people use as a stepping stone, so I can’t really blame him. But I can’t see him going to Blackpool.

“We haven’t really had time to think about the number one choice to replace him, but Dean Smith has been over in the USA for a couple of years. He has done an amazing job at Villa and Brentford. I was Martin Ling’s assistant for a number of years, who is our director of football. That would be a dream appointment.”

Leyton Orient must have plans in place for Richie Wellens successor

As mentioned above, Orient would have known that this day could come, as Wellens has done a brilliant job over the years, so it was always going to put him on the radar of other clubs.

Therefore, the hierarchy at Brisbane Road should have plans in place to replace Wellens, and, given the experience of Ling, you can be sure that they will be ready for all scenarios.

So, it will be a sad day for Orient if Wellens does move on, but he has progressed the club, and he leaves them in a very good place, with a talented squad that can compete at this level.

Of course, there’s no guarantee he will depart, but Orient need to be ready for every outcome, and it will be interesting to see who they do consider as Wellens’ replacement if he does move on.

Smith would certainly be an eye-catching appointment, even if it does seem a real long shot considering how Charlotte FC are performing in America. But, Ling is sure to have plenty of names in the frame, as Leyton Orient prepare for what could be a important few days for the club.