Kellyman signs: How Luton Town's dream 2025 January transfer window may look | OneFootball

FLW outlines the ideal January window for the Hatters

Luton Town's return to the Championship after relegation from the Premier League has not gone as planned so fa so they must start looking ahead to the January transfer window and plan to make some improvements to their squad.

The Hatters are languishing near the bottom of the second tier with more than two months of the season already gone and boss Rob Edwards needs to see his side's results improve as his position comes under increasing pressure.

Edwards oversaw a busy summer at Kenilworth Road, with numerous incomings and outgoings as a result of their relegation, and their club-record transfer was broken as Mark McGuinness arrived from Cardiff City in a deal that could be worth over £10m if bonuses are met.

They will have expected a lot more from this season so far, but could very well see an upturn in form soon, and may even be chasing promotion by the turn of the year, albeit they could still be struggling near the bottom of the league.

There is clearly a lot of uncertainty around the Hatters at the minute, but they are bound to be busy in the January market regardless, and so we have outlined what their dream transfer window would look like if all went to plan.

Omari Kellyman joins

A lot has been made of Luton's defensive troubles so far this season, but they have also been lacking threat in attacking areas and so need to add some firepower up front, ideally in the wide positions.

Omari Kellyman has long been a highly-rated youngster while breaking through the ranks at Derby County and Aston Villa, and he made the move to Chelsea in the summer in a deal worth up to £19m after featuring six times for the Villans in all competitions last season.

He has struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge so far though, mainly due to a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since early September.

The 19-year-old is reportedly due to return to full fitness in either November or December, so he will surely be available for loan in January as he is unlikely to challenge for a place in Enzo Maresca's senior side, and needs to gain valuable minutes at a strong level.

Luton should certainly be tracking his signature in January, as his pace and trickery from attacking midfield or either wing would add a lot to their side for the second half of the campaign.

Alfie Doughty stays

Left wing-back Alfie Doughty has been a consistent standout since his arrival at Kenilworth Road from Stoke City two years ago, and his performances in the Premier League last term were enough to win him some serious top-flight suitors in the summer, but he has stayed at Luton for this season.

Doughty played in all but one of Luton's Premier League matches last season, scoring twice and providing eight assists as they were relegated, and he was tracked by a whole host of Premier League teams throughout the summer window as a result, but they were met with a £15m price tag reportedly set by the club.

Despite their poor performances as a collective this term, the 22-year-old has been one of the Hatters' best individual players again, and so it is absolutely imperative that they keep hold of him in January until the end of the season at least.

It will have come as a relief to Edwards and Luton fans alike that Doughty signed a new contract extension last month, which was an undisclosed length but will surely tie him to the club for another three years at the least, due to his importance to the team.

That does not mean, however, that he is untouchable in the transfer windows to come, and Luton will surely field more transfer interest in January that they must fend off, especially if they are still in poor form.

James Bree rejoins

Edwards has not been blessed with great right wing-back options in the first half of the season so far, with Reuell Walters finding it tough to adapt to men's football and Daiki Hashioka out injured, so the return of James Bree would be a welcome addition for the Hatters in January.

Walters has largely been a mainstay in Edwards' side on the right of a five-man defence since Chiedozie Ogbene's late August departure to Ipswich Town, while Hashioka is on the comeback trail for the Town, but has been prone to injury since his January arrival, and neither have been particular standouts respectively.

With that said, it would make a lot of sense to secure a deal for former Hatters man James Bree, as he is out of favour at Southampton and is unlikely to become a regular in Russell Martin's side anytime soon.

Bree joined the Saints from Luton in January 2023 after making over 140 appearances for the Hatters in three-and-a-half years but has not nailed down a starting spot in either the Premier League or Championship at St Mary's, so it would surely make sense for all parties to let him return to the Bedfordshire outfit, either on loan or permanently, in January.

Cauley Woodrow leaves

Cauley Woodrow has been a great servant to the Hatters since his arrival from Barnsley in 2022, but may need to see his time at Kenilworth Road come to an end in January to make way for more new arrivals in attack.

Woodrow started out in men's football at Luton as a 16-year-old back in 2010, and made the club a valuable amount of money when he joined Fulham a year later for a six-figure fee, but never really kicked on at Craven Cottage and found his way back to the Hatters two years ago after some impressive performances for Barnsley in the third and second-tier.

He has been a bit-part player under Edwards since their promotion to the Premier League and subsequent relegation, which is understandable given he is competing for places with the likes of Elijah Adebayo, Carlton Morris, Jacob Brown and Joe Taylor, and so could seek an exit for more game-time, as he will be 30-years-old by the January window.

The only potential stumbling block for an exit for Woodrow would likely be his contract length with Luton, as it is unclear when his current deal expires, but that should not stand in the way of a departure that both club and player will surely be happy to agree to.