5 free agents Luton Town could seal bargain transfers for this summer | OneFootball

Football League World takes a look at five players Luton Town could be able to acquire on a free transfer next summer

Having worked their way back up from the depths of non-league, Luton Town embarked on a historic journey in recent years, as they clinched promotion to the Premier League in 2023.

Sadly for the Hatters, they were unable to retain their top flight status, and soon suffered relegation back to the Championship at the end of the 2023/24 campaign after just one year.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Bedfordshire outfit now find themselves struggling in the second tier, and are vying to avoid back-to-back relegations from the Premier League down to League One.

The Kenilworth Road faithful will hope that new boss Matt Bloomfield can steer their club to Championship safety after poaching him from Wycombe Wanderers, with the business end of the season still to come.

Meanwhile, Football League World takes a look at five players the Hatters could be able to acquire on a free transfer next summer, and whose signatures would be real coups in the market:

Tyrhys Dolan

Blackburn Rovers star Tyrhys Dolan has played a key role in the Ewood Park side's play-off push so far this term, and boasts the creative ability to break down even the most robust of Championship defences.

Rovers would simply love to retain the 23-year-old's services, but his terms with the Lancashire club are set to expire at the end of the season as things stand, while his signature could prove to be a very shrewd addition for the Hatters next summer.

Anfernee Dijksteel

The Hatters' struggles this season have largely been down to their leaky defence, but one man whose presence could help shore up Bloomfield's backline is current Middlesbrough right-back Anfernee Dijksteel, who boasts bags of Championship experience.

The Suriname international has entered the final six months of his Boro contract, and could be a great addition for any second tier side who look to acquire his services on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

Luton's right-back options aren't the strongest, with Ruell Walters and Daiki Hashioka giving Bloomfield options to improve on come the summer - Dijksteel could be just that as a reliable option.

Harry Darling

Another Championship defender the Hatters should look to make a free transfer swoop for next summer is Swansea City centre-back Harry Darling.

The 25-year-old is a tenacious figure at the heart of the Swans backline and can even be a threat in the final third, which was best demonstrated by the fact he scored 10 goals across all competitions during the 2021/22 season for former club MK Dons.

The South Wales outfit will not want to wave goodbye to Darling next summer, when his current contract expires, while his signature could come as a real coup for the Hatters.

Ryan Ledson

As well as shoring up his side's defence, Luton boss Bloomfield may also look to bolster his midfield options come the summer, while one addition who could join the club on a free transfer following the conclusion of the current campaign is Preston North End man Ryan Ledson.

The Englishman has become a real stalwart for North End, since joining from Oxford United back in 2018, but his terms at Deepdale are set to expire at the end of the season.

Will Hughes

Another midfielder who could really strengthen the Hatters' ranks is current Crystal Palace man Will Hughes, who has proven himself as a real asset in both the Premier League and the Championship throughout his somewhat illustrious career.

Should the Hatters avoid the drop to League One, next summer could offer them an opportunity to snap up a would-be former top-flight stalwart, once Hughes' contract with the Eagles expires.