Everton, Elijah Adebayo update is not what Luton Town need right now: View | OneFootball

Everton making Adebayo top target in January is not ideal for Luton. It's been a slow start and these reports don't do Rob Edwards any favours.

Luton Town have had a disastrous start on their return to the Championship and the news that Everton are reportedly keen on striker Elijah Adebayo won't exactly do Rob Edwards any favours.

The report comes from the Sun, who are suggesting that the Toffees have reignited their interest in the 26-year-old after having previously been linked with the striker back in May. A £15-20 million price tag has reportedly been set by the Hatters.

Adebayo has proven to be a fantastic forward for Luton in the five seasons he's been at Kenilworth Road and it's no surprise he is receiving interest from the Premier League.

After their shocking start to the campaign, Edwards' side sit 23rd and need to find a solution to a troubling set of results.

Everton's interest will be the last thing the Luton boss needs right now, and he will be hoping he can retain the striker in January, on the back of, hopefully, an upturn in results.

Everton, of course, haven't started the season well at all and Adebayo could be their solution to the continuous missed chances in front of goal.

The interest comes as no surprise. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has struggled in recent seasons after an array of injury problems and has lacked a clinical edge in front of goal.

The Toffees have lost all three of their opening Premier League games and have struggled with finding the back of the net, only scoring twice so far.

Everton fans were probably surprised they didn't even look into a striker in the summer after they were the second-lowest scorers in the top flight last season with just 40 goals.

Adebayo looks to tick the boxes that the Toffees boss looks for in a striker – he is tall, well-built and good in the air. Not only that, he did not look out of place at Premier League level last term.

Adebayo form for Luton over the years

Adebayo has endured a poor start to the season himself but he has proven his quality to Luton fans over the past four seasons – in both the Championship and the top flight.

Hitting double figures in terms of goals in three back-to-back seasons is no mean feat but the forward offers plenty more beyond just his strike rate, with his hard work out of possession, link-up play, and physicality so important to the Hatters' success in recent years.

Keeping hold of him over the summer was a real boost and Edwards will want to retain him beyond the winter window, too, but Everton's reported interest is likely to make that difficult, particularly if the Toffees' struggles continue.

The 2024/25 Championship campaign offers Luton a unique challenge as they began it as one of the favourites for promotion to the Premier League.

So far, they've shown little to suggest they can live up to the expectations. Edwards' side have looked a mess despite managing to keep the majority of their squad together.

The Luton boss had a job on his hands turning the tide and getting their promotion push back on track so the last thing he needs is a transfer saga surrounding one of his key players.

The 26-year-old would not be the first player to be distracted by constant speculation about his future or to have his head turned by the prospect of a move back to the Premier League while his teammates too may find the saga unsettling.

Edwards has backed his strike duo – Adebayo and Carlton Morris – to rediscover their goalscoring form soon and he will know just how important that pair are likely to be to their aspirations for 2024/25.

Even if the Hatters boss is right and they get back to their best despite the Everton noise, the prospect of losing one of his key players midway through the campaign is far from ideal either.

Edwards will have hoped that the transfer window slamming shut would offer respite from transfer speculation but unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case.