Luton Town: Jack Wilshere must ask fresh Pep Guardiola transfer favour | OneFootball

Manchester City's Emilio Lawrence is beginning to excel on loan at Luton Town

Luton Town have had to navigate a lot of player turnover over the past couple of transfer windows as they re-find their feet in League One after consecutive relegations.

It's ultimately been one of the main reasons why the Hatters have had a bit of an underwhelming campaign when you factor in pre-season expectations, as Matt Bloomfield and now Jack Wilshere have had to wade through a large squad to figure out who their best 11s are.

It ended up costing Bloomfield his job, and while Luton are still within touching distance of a place in the top six, not many are forecasting a return to the Championship this season under Wilshere.

However, there can't be much denial that this year has allowed a young manager in Wilshere to begin to figure out what he likes to play, what works and what, more importantly, doesn't work in a side with promotion expectations.

What has seemingly worked for him is the decision to bring in Manchester City starlet Emilio Lawrence on loan, and he'll be hoping that the Premier League giants will be able to sanction a permanent deal for the 20-year-old in the summer.

Emilio Lawrence has been a bright spark for Luton Town

Lawrence is currently in the midst of his first loan spell away from Manchester City, who brought him in from Everton as a 16-year-old in 2022.

The Scottish Under-21 international made his professional debut in the Hatters' 2-1 win over Stevenage in January, and recently scored his first senior goal for the club in their 1-1 draw versus Stockport County. A beautiful goal, finished well from outside the box after cutting in from the left.

Lawrence has been able to express himself while at Kenilworth Road, being among the highest percentage of left-wingers in League One when it comes to shots per game and assists per game, too, per Fotmob.

Additionally, his defensive stats per game are admirable, too, so he's been a solid, well-rounded winger at such a young age, and it's led Luton fans to want to see more out of him. With not much time left between now and the end of the season, perhaps a more permanent deal can be made.

Lawrence will turn 21 in the early stages of next season, and given how ruthless the City fold is and how difficult it can be to establish yourself in Pep Guardiola's squad, it's hard to see someone who is yet to make a senior appearance for the club go on and be in the first team next season.

However, that doesn't mean that he hasn't been extremely solid at League One level, and regardless of how this season ends, Luton should be poking their heads back around Guardiola's door to see what his plans for Lawrence are this coming summer.

Emilio Lawrence could easily adapt to the Championship with Luton Town, too

After a rather hectic first campaign back in League One with plenty of changes in both the playing personnel and in the dugout, if Luton don't secure promotion this season, this coming summer will all be about building a squad ready to achieve it next year.

Therefore, they'll need players who can easily make that jump to the second tier, and while it's only been a handful of outings, there's clear potential that Lawrence could be the left-winger at Kenilworth Road for the seasons to come.

The Scottish Under-21 international would be a solid option right now in the Championship, you'd think, so to have him for a full year in League One, with a full pre-season behind him under a young manager who will be eager to improve in his first full year, Luton could be an exciting team to watch in 2026/27.

And that is if the Hatters don't stage a late run into the top six this year. With a five-point gap and seven games remaining, it's not out of the question, and with Lawrence building in confidence game by game, perhaps Luton could be looking to sign him permanently after he helps fire them to the Championship, instead.