Ipswich Town, Kieran McKenna news is big for Luton Town: View | OneFootball

When the news broke that Keiran McKenna had batted away interest from some of the Premier League's most established clubs and was in talks to sign a new deal with Ipswich Town, a collective sigh of relief could be heard throughout Luton Town.

Fans of the Hatters have been on tenterhooks, anxiously waiting to see if their manager, Rob Edwards, would form a key part of Ipswich’s contingency plan.

Since the end of the season and the emergence of interest from Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United in McKenna, Edwards has been consistently lined up as his potential successor.

On paper, a move to the East Anglian side looked like a logical next step for the 41-year-old. This term, Edwards has received plaudits for implementing an effective, hard-to-beat system that has allowed Luton to remain competitive in the face of adversity.

His proven record of over achievement and top-flight experience made him an ideal Ipswich candidate if McKenna were to leave.

But now that the Tractor Boys have held onto their star manager, Luton supporters will hope that the noise surrounding Rob Edwards dies down as he begins to plot the side's return to the top flight.

Unlikely that Edwards will leave Luton Town

Last season, Luton fans bordered an emotional rollercoaster with Edwards at the helm. The former Watford boss guided the club through the lows of an injury crisis and celebrated the highs of unexpected wins against Brighton and Everton.

At times, he has been one of the few constants in a helter-skelter Hatters’ campaign. As a result, it is hard to imagine that he would sidestep to another Championship club, forsake the connection he has built at Luton and give up on his long-term project.

Without the prospect of a Premier League move this summer, it feels unlikely that Edwards will leave a Luton team that looks well-placed to challenge at the right end of the Championship table.

If Edwards does begin next season in the Kenilworth Road dugout, supporters of the Bedfordshire side may worry that he will jump ship at the first possible juncture, depending on what's going on in the division above. News of a new contract may just ease any fear, though.

Luton should challenge for promotion

Approaching next season, the Hatters are in a positive position, looking to build towards Premier League promotion.

Often, when teams fail to beat the drop, relegation causes financial uncertainty. As clubs scramble to balance their books and deal with the EFL's tighter profit and sustainability rules, prize assets often must be sold to fill emerging holes.

While Luton will look to turn a profit on some of their star performers in the upcoming transfer window, the Hatters will hold all the cards when negotiating their Kenilworth Road exit.

Although Teden Mengi and Ross Barkley have been the subject of increasing transfer speculation and will likely leave the club this summer, Luton are in an advantageous position.

By refusing to live beyond their means last season, Luton will reap the rewards of their sustainable spending and astute transfer policy as they begin life back in the Championship with a strong, largely unchanged first-team squad.

Edwards’ tenure has been characterised by clever spending and effective coaching. Amid his team’s injury crisis, the former defender routinely coached his players into new positions to fit his established structure.

If the Hatters’ hierarchy can use their Premier League funds wisely and give Edwards the resources to plug gaps that could appear throughout the transfer window, Luton Town fans can expect to see their team in the promotion picture next year.

Key to that, of course, is retaining the man that put them on that path 12 months ago in Edwards. News of McKenna's stay at Ipswich Town, then, is the perfect summer tonic for the Hatters.