Luton Town ended up striking gold with 7-figure Birmingham City transfer - it helped land them club icon | OneFootball

Luton Town's decision to sell striker Isaac Vassell to Birmingham City proved to be a masterstroke - Luke Berry arrived 11 days later.

Luton Town's decision to sell striker Isaac Vassell to Birmingham City for around £1m in 2017 when they were still in League Two proved to be a masterstroke.

While Vassell's career at St Andrew's was derailed by serious injuries - limiting him to just 24 appearances across two seasons - the Hatters used part of the seven-figure sum to secure Luke Berry from Cambridge United.

The departure of Isaac Vassell to Birmingham City

Vassell, who joined the Hatters from Truro City just over a year earlier, had initially been reluctant to leave Kenilworth Road, with then-Luton boss Nathan Jones confirming that "the club tried absolutely everything to keep hold of him", turning down a number of offers in the process.

However, with the player having just one year remaining on his contract and categorically refusing to sign a new deal, the club was forced into a position where they had to cash in.

Vassell's form with Luton had been impressive - netting 16 goals in 55 appearances. This record, combined with his pace and power, is how interest was formed - Bristol City had a bid rejected prior to his Blues move.

Luke Berry's arrival proved to be inspired business

Just eleven days after Vassell's departure, Luton made what would prove to be one of their most important signings in recent memory in the form of Luke Berry from Cambridge United.

The 25-year-old midfielder arrived at Kenilworth Road on a three-year deal after submitting a transfer request to force through the move.

Berry had been prolific at League Two level with Cambridge, scoring 22 goals in the previous season, making him an attractive target for several clubs including Scottish side Hibernian.

The U's had initially rejected two previous offers from Luton, but the situation changed when Berry made it clear he wanted to leave.

Nathan Jones was delighted with the signing, stating, "Luke's been profilic at this level and he fits the mould of what we want here - his goalscoring ability would prove invaluable as Luton began their rise through the EFL pyramid.

Isaac Vassell's Blues nightmare

Vassell's move to Birmingham City quickly turned into a nightmare - suffering a ruptured ACL injury just months after joining - during a 0-0 draw in the Second City derby against Aston Villa.

This serious knee injury would keep him out of the majority of his first season at St Andrews, with manager Steve Cotterill describing the injury as " a blow" after showing earlier promising signs when scoring the winner against Sheffield Wednesday.

Further complications followed, with Vassell suffering additional injuries to his hip and thigh - reducing his overall appearances to just 24 games with one goal during his two seasons at Blues.

Luke Berry's journey to becoming a Luton Town cult-hero

In stark contrast to Vassell's struggles, Luke Berry's impact at Luton was immediate.

In his first season - he helped the club secure promotion from League Two - scoring eight goals in 39 - despite suffering a serious ankle injury late in the campaign.

Berry's influence extended far beyond his goalscoring contribution and he became a key figure in the Hatters' dressing room as he was instrumental in their subsequent promotion to the Championship in his second season.

Perhaps most remarkably, he was part of the squad that achieved promotion to the Premier League via the play-off final in 2023 - converting his penalty in the 6-5 penalty win over Coventry City.

This made him one of only a handful of players to win promotion with the same club from League Two to the Premier League.

Luton Town struck transfer market gold with Vassell and Berry deals

The contrasting fortunes of both Vassell and Berry following the 2017 window is a prime example of how the transfer market can work in unexpected ways.

Yes - Berry was already prolific at League Two level, but Blues paid roughly £1m for a striker who would unfortunately be plagued by injuries - and the former would be a huge part in the Hatters' journey to the top-flight.

Vassell's career never recovered from his injury problems at Birmingham, with subsequent spells at Cardiff City also being hampered by fitness issues. Meanwhile, Berry is now back in the Championship with Charlton Athletic - although he was an unused substitute in the playoff final against Leyton Orient.