"Money talks" - Claim made on Alfie Doughty's Luton Town future | OneFootball

Luton have plenty of prized assets on their books despite suffering back-to-back-relegations

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

It was a calamitous 2024/25 campaign for all of a Luton Town persuasion, as the club suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One.

The Hatters became the first side in seven years to suffer such a drastic plight down the English footballing pyramid, as they return to the third-tier for the first time since being crowned champions in the summer of 2019.

Just two years ago, the club celebrated their greatest-ever achievement, returning to the top table for the first time since 1992, just nine years after winning the National League, and that meant the landscape and weight of expectation changed drastically at Kenilworth Road.

Many believed that Luton were better-equipped than Burnley and Sheffield United when it came to mounting a promotion bid after retaining a plethora of prized assets in the off-season, with one of those coming in the form of left-wing-back, Alfie Doughty.

The 25-year-old was the subject of a potentially immediate return to the top-flight last summer after the club's relegation was confirmed. And, speaking to FLW, our Luton fan pundit, Simon Mills, wouldn't be surprised to see plenty of interest circle around Doughty this summer either, as the club prepares for life back in League One.

Claim on Alfie Doughty's Luton Town future made as League One beckons

Doughty joined Luton in the summer of 2022 from Stoke City and played an integral role in the Hatters' unexpected promotion to the Premier League, before gaining plenty of admirers whilst pitting his wits against the country's very best.

An accumulation of two goals and eight assists saw the likes of Brentford and Crystal Palace linked with a potential transfer amid claims that a £15m valuation had been placed on his services, before the London-born man put pen-to-paper on a long-term contract in September.

However, many will argue that a player of such quality and creative nous has no business plying their trade in League One, and Mills, unsurprisingly, believes that offers could come in which prove just too good for the club and/or Doughty to snub.

"I think there will definitely be interest in Alfie Doughty," he began. "Whether he stays or goes remains to be seen.

"He is on a long-term contract, so if he does leave, it will be for a high fee no matter what, because he's a good player.

"Despite his issues this season, he's a very good player," Mills stated.

"You'd have to wonder if he wants to stick around to help Luton go back up at the first attempt, because he's spoke, at length, about how much he does love the club, and I'm sure this season doesn't sit well with him.

"But, of course it's football, and money talks in football. So, we'll have to wait and see about Alfie Doughty and where he goes," Mills concluded.

Parachute payments could help Luton Town retain star names in League One rebuild

Whilst the prospect of featuring in League One less than a year after welcoming the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal to the Kenny isn't exactly enticing, Luton's financial standpoint could aid Matt Bloomfield when it comes to retaining players who have a point to prove.

The Bedfordshire club will reportedly receive £39m in their second year of benefitting from 'parachute payments' which puts them in a completely different financial stratosphere than their divisional rivals, and will not only help attract key signings, it could see star names such as Doughty and Carlton Morris stay at the club.

However, as Mills alluded to, if that isn't the case, the ball is still firmly in the club's court as a result of his long-term contract, although £15m could still be seen as a bargain for clubs in the Premier League or at the higher end of the second-tier for a player of his quality when fully on his 'a-game'.