Exeter City will be pleased with cash windfall from Luton Town transfer | OneFootball

Exeter City will be delighted with the £1.5m fee they received from Luton Town for Millenic Alli.

Exeter City sold Millenic Alli to Luton Town on Thursday, in a deal that was reportedly worth more than £1m.

The Irishman joined the Devon-based side last January from FC Halifax Town, and has worked his way towards becoming a regular first-teamer. 12 months later, Alli leaves St James Park for a reported sum of around £1.5m.

Despite losing their top goalscorer, this piece of business seems to be extremely smart for Exeter, as they picked Alli up from non-league to sell him on for a large profit the following year.

The club is already well known for its famed academy, which has seen the likes of Ollie Watkins and Ethan Ampadu start their journey to success with the Grecians. However, the gamble they took on the non-league gem paid off massively, proving that their business model can work either way.

Exeter will be delighted with Alli cash windfall after Luton move

Luton have seemed somewhat desperate in the closing stages of the transfer window, as they have been on a bidding frenzy for players. Some of these attempts have been unsuccessful, but the Hatters were quickly able to broker a deal with Gary Caldwell's side for Alli.

Initial reports suggested that the Bedfordshire side offered £1.3m to the League One team, but just hours later, it was said that the fee had risen to £1.5m and been accepted. The following day, the attacker was unveiled as Luton's latest signing.

From the outside looking in, this looks to be a great deal for the selling club. Of course, losing their top scorer will be a blow, especially this late in the window, but the Grecians have reportedly received a pretty penny for Alli. As Exeter secures a premium fee for the 24-year-old, they will hopefully have time to reinvest the fee to sign an adequate replacement.

When you look at recent results on the pitch, Alli has been one of the only positives in what has been a dire run of form for Exeter. However, even though he's now gone, things might not be all doom and gloom. The fee Luton have paid will be able to be used to strengthen the squad, bringing in some new additions if time allows it.

Alli transfer yet another success for Exeter

Exeter have a rich history of nurturing talented young players. St James Park has been a great breeding ground for talent in recent years, where youngsters have often been afforded plenty of opportunities to impress.

The Irishman's transfer is just the next success story in a long line of players that have earned the club well over £1m in transfer fees, and it's unlikely he'll be the last. Currently, 17-year-old Jake Richards is impressing in the first team for the Reds, and looks set to become yet another star.

However, focusing on Alli, he joins the list of names which includes Sam Nombe, Jay Stansfield, Ampadu and Joel Randall as players whose success in Devon has gone on to provide the club with seven-figure sums when they eventually moved on. This is how the fan-owned club has managed to run sustainably in the EFL for many years.

Now, Exeter will have to make do without their top scorer, but have a hefty amount of cash to replace him and find the next success story to help maintain the upkeep of the football club. They have every right to be pleased with the windfall.