Derby County are laughing loudest over Luton Town after transfer situation | OneFootball

Carlton Morris' exploits at Bramall Lane have emphasised Luton Town's striker frustrations

Carlton Morris is finding a new lease of life at Derby County, showing signs of the striker he was during Luton Town's successful play-off run three years ago.

The 29-year-old has already matched his Championship goalscoring tally from last season in 28 fewer games, as Saturday's hat trick against Sheffield United moved him on to eight goals in 13 appearances.

For Luton fans, it's a cause for frustration.

Not only because the Hatters were relegated last season, mainly because those who performed admirably over the prior couple of seasons didn't hit the heights they're capable of, but also because those who came in to replace Morris and co haven't hit the ground running.

Effectively, Derby and Luton swapped their number nines over the summer, after the Kenilworth Road outfit dropped a seven-figure fee to bring Jerry Yates in from Swansea City, who had spent last season on loan at Pride Park.

However, whilst Morris is showing his goalscoring prowess in the Championship once more, Yates is failing to produce what many know he is capable of doing in League One.

Calrton Morris and Jerry Yates have started this season on different trajectories

Many saw Derby's signing of Morris over the summer as a smart one. The Rams had struggled for goals in the 2024/25 Championship season, scoring just 48 times, and, despite a down year last year, the 29-year-old had netted 20 times to get Luton to the Premier League, and a further 11 in his debut campaign in the top flight.

It was a low-risk, high-reward arrival, and despite Derby coming out of the blocks slowly, Morris' eight goals, including four amidst the current three-game winning run that John Eustace's side is currently on, mean that the deal is already showing that high reward.

However, whilst the Rams were commended for a smart signing here, a lot of people felt that Luton's purchase of Yates would confirm what many already thought pre-season — that the Hatters were going to dominate and finish atop League One.

Yates had spent the last four seasons playing consistently in the Championship, scoring at least eight goals across each year. He hadn't played in the third tier since his 21-goal campaign en route to helping Blackpool win at Wembley in the 2021 play-off final.

Critics expected the 28-year-old, now edging closer to his prime years, to return to those ways at Kenilworth Road. However, it's been anything but for Luton's new number nine.

Yates is yet to net from open play in his first nine league games for the Hatters, with his sole goal in the third tier coming from the spot in a 3-2 loss to Plymouth Argyle.

His slow start is indicative of Luton overall, as the Hatters have been mostly disappointing, and Matt Bloomfield was a casualty of that poor form when he was sacked, and Jack Wilshere was brought in.

Since Wilshere came into the job, however, Yates' time on the pitch has decreased massively. A concussion saw the 28-year-old miss the last three games of Bloomfield's reign, but the former Swansea striker has started just the EFL Trophy win against Brighton's U21's under the former Arsenal midfielder, coming off the bench in each of the other games.

An incredibly concerning start for their marquee signing ahead of the opening day win against AFC Wimbledon, and one that Luton fans really hope can be turned around, especially as their former talisman continues to impress in the Championship.

Luton Town will hope Jerry Yates can find form soon, whilst the good times can keep coming for Derby County

In an ideal world, both teams will start to hit form with their new strikers firing, and then both can be happy. Derby seems to have found that winning formula as late, and Luton will be hoping that this current three-game winning run under Jack Wilshere in all competitions can continue as well.

Yates netted twice in Luton's recent EFL Trophy win, and assisted Gideon Kodua's winner in the seven-goal FA Cup thriller against Forest Green Rovers last weekend. He'll be hoping that the form can see him start in League One for the first time under Wilshere against Stockport County on Saturday.

If the 28-year-old can find that form to push Luton up the table near where they need to be, then Hatters fans can be happy, and, consequently, they can look at what Morris is doing over at Derby with a positive eye, too.

As for the Rams, they still can't believe their luck in landing the former Hatters man. He's already two goals behind Yates' tally from last season, and he seems destined to overtake it in the near future.