Shandon Baptiste, a former Brentford midfielder, has agreed to join Luton Town on a free transfer, according to a Football Insider report.
The Hatters finished the previous season with 26 points, which earned them relegation from the Premier League. On the other hand, manager Rob Edwards’ approach to assembling his team was excellent. While in the Premier League, Luton assembled what many referred to as a Championship super club by bringing in elite players from the lower division.
Luton has placed faith in all of their incomings throughout the years to take the next step forward, signing players from inside and across the EFL. Alfie Doughty, a wing-back who had played for Stoke City, and Mads Andersen, a former Barnsley defender, are two recent examples of this.
Although Town hasn’t indicated that it will abandon its transfer policy, it became clear last season that acquiring players with top-flight experience was necessary if they were to survive. Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend, in particular, were regulars on the field at Kenilworth Road.
Shandon Baptiste is no different, and while though Barkley plays a deeper role, the former Brentford player may be able to make up for the quantity of experience that was left behind in the center of the field after Barkley abandoned ship to join Aston Villa.
Over his four and a half years at the GTECH Community Stadium, the 26-year-old has played 55 Premier League games with the Bees, establishing himself as a dependable option off the bench. The Grenadian international would be expected to step in and take over for Barkley, Luke Berry, who is a fan favorite, and Albert Sambi-Lokonga, who all departed the team last summer.
Baptiste wouldn’t be able to fetch a transfer fee because his contract at West London expired this week. Transfermarkt now values the midfield player at about £2.5 million, but a successful season under Edwards may potentially increase that amount
Author’s Perspective:
The news that Barkley would not be returning for a second season with the team should delight Luton supporters. Town needed to find someone with the same kind of expertise that the Englishmen offered to Bedfordshire. This can be because a sizable portion of their roster does not have 50 or more appearances in one of the top two divisions.
This shift could turn out to be a career-changing realization for Baptiste. He has participated in 55 Premier League games over the past two seasons, although he has only been named in the starting lineup six times. In the bulk of those games, he has provided Thomas Frank with fresh legs off the bench.
The 26-year-old, who plays only as a center midfielder, has some exceptional traits that will win over the Luton Town supporters. Baptiste, who has excellent footwork and is a tireless worker both in and out of possession, is described as a strong box-to-box player who doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Marvelous Nakamba, a fellow midfielder who like to maintain his place as a ball-winning defensive midfielder, would greatly benefit from his presence in the middle of the park. If you combine these two in the center, it may be the magic formula the Hatters need to produce another winning season in this division.
