Exclusive: Don Goodman urges Luton Town to strike "massive" QPR deal - It'll solve "problem" | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman reacts to the news that Luton Town are close to signing Charlie Kelman, who was on loan at Leyton Orient last season.

The signing of Charlie Kelman from QPR would be "a massive coup" for Luton Town, according to Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman.

Luton are still in something of a state of shell-shock following a second successive relegation, which has sent them tumbling from the Premier League to League One in two short years.

The club need to arrest this decline in the third tier next season, so attention has turned to what players they can bring in, and might be no better place to start than with last season's top goalscorer in League One, Charlie Kelman, who spent the 2024-25 season on loan with Leyton Orient.

The Os narrowly missed out on promotion last time around, losing the play-off final 1-0 to Charlton Athletic.

Luton have been reported by West London Sport as having made a bid for the striker, following his return to parent club Queens Park Rangers at the end of the season.

"Luton Town need goals"; Goodman enthusiastic for Kelman signature

Football League World spoke exclusively to the Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman about whether this represents good news for the Hatters: "The answer to this from a Luton Town perspective is an emphatic yes. Charlie Kelman would be a massive coup for Luton. The player massively proved himself at this level last season with Leyton Orient, I think it was 27 goals in all competitions, 23 in League One. He was the top scorer and Luton Town need goals."

Goodman identifies that signing Kelman could answer a significant issue that Luton had in the Championship last season: "They really struggled last season, I think they only scored 45, which is less than a goal a game in the Championship, and I know it was a new level and I know they'd lost Carlton Morris, but scoring goals was a big area that needed improving and if they can get a deal for Charlie Kelman over the line I believe that would go a long way towards solving that particular problem."

Kelman could be a good deal for Luton in more ways than one

Charlie Kelman has taken a little time to mature, but he burst to life in League One with Leyton Orient last season, finishing as the League One top goalscorer. This was his second spell on loan with the club, having spent the 2022-23 season at Brisbane Road as well.

And Kelman's signature wouldn't only make sense for Luton in an immediate sense. It is certainly true to say that they need goals. They were the joint-second lowest goalscorers in the Championship last season and that problem needs to be rectified if they're to come close to challenging in what looks like being a very competitive League One next season.

Kelman ticks other boxes, as well. At 23 years of age, he hits the sweet spot of being relatively youthful but still very experienced. He was 17 when he made his full senior debut for Southend United in January 2019 - and scored from inside his own half against Plymouth Argyle - and already has over 200 career appearances in all competitions under his belt, having scored 49 goals.

But at this age, there is also still room for him to develop further, and if he is a success at Kenilworth Road, Luton could find themselves with a player with a huge sell-on value as well. Charlie Kelman could represent an outstanding investment, both in terms of their immediate need for goals and their longer-term financial position.