“Happy to see him go” – Luton Town offered honest transfer advice on £30k-a-week man | OneFootball

Luton Town have been advised to let Marvelous Nakamba leave the club following their relegation

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…

Luton Town will look to bounce back from successive relegations in League One next season, after succumbing to their fate on the final day of the season.

Touted by many to achieve promotion straight back to the Premier League, a nightmare started to unravel at Kenilworth Road almost immediately, as the Hatters were humbled 4-1 at home to fellow relegated side Burnley.

As time went on throughout the season, it became apparent that the club was under serious threat of relegation. Rob Edwards parted ways with the side in January, an unimaginable scenario just two years prior.

Matt Bloomfield was brought in from Wycombe Wanderers to try and rectify the damage, however that was a task he did not succeed in. A 5-3 defeat to West Brom at the Hawthorns sealed their fate, and the nightmare was complete for Luton Town.

As is often the case in relegation scenarios, a mass exodus within the club’s talent pool can occur. Many of the Hatters’ players were operating out of the Premier League just over 12 months ago, so it wouldn’t be a surprise for them to pursue pastures new.

One of those who could set sail is Marvelous Nakamba, who joined Luton in January 2023 from Aston Villa on an initial loan deal. He proceeded to play a crucial role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League, and was therefore acquired permanently that summer.

However, since then injury woes have quelled the midfielder’s overall impact at Kenilworth Road. That said, he has proven quality that could prove useful for a number of teams in the second-tier.

A departure this summer does feel likely, with Nakamba estimated to be earning a weekly wage of £30,000, which Luton would struggle to accommodate in League One.

“Happy to see him go” – Luton Town handed damning Marvelous Nakamba verdict

FLW's resident Luton Town fan pundit, Simon Mills, believes that Nakamba’s tendency to spend large portions of a season on the sidelines somewhat reduces his overall value ahead of the transfer window.

“Marvelous Nakamba has severe injury issues,” explained Simon.

“Ever since he got his injuries, he's not looked like the same player.

“I'd be happy to see him go, I don't know if this is the end of his time with Luton now, we'll have to wait and see, but his legs are gone sadly.

“He gave us a great time during his loan spell back in 22-23, but age and injuries are definitely a factor with Marvelous Nakamba and I think that we do need a more reliable, younger, fitter player to come in now to partner Lamine Fanne.”

This summer may spell the end of Nakamba’s time at Luton

Following on from a relegation with such catastrophic ramifications for Luton Town, the club will be forced into making a series of changes this summer.

After achieving promotion to the Premier League, the club invested in their infrastructure and attempted to try and cement their position in and around the top-flight.

The opposite has happened, and now they face some extremely tough decisions.

They will have to be brutal to try and deal with the financial burden of football in the third-tier, which means saying goodbye to some familiar faces.

One of these just might be Nakamba, who hasn’t impacted the side nearly enough over the past two seasons. Although injury troubles are somewhat unavoidable, Luton can’t justify keeping the player when his contribution hasn’t been satisfactory.

On the other hand, a fit Nakamba probably feels like he can play at a higher level than League One, after enjoying multiple years of Premier League football so far in his career.

As a result, Nakamba exiting Kenilworth Road this summer wouldn’t be a shock, and is probably a move that ultimately benefits both parties. H