Luton Town have joined the race for the Swansea City defender, who will see his current deal expire this month.
Luton Town have been keeping a watchful eye on Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere and have subsequently joined the race to secure the 23-year-old’s signature, as detailed in a Football Insider.
Blackburn Rovers reportedly hold an interest in the Manchester City academy graduate who appeared 34 times in the league for the Swans last time out, chipping in with two goals and a further three assists.
The Hatters are now preparing for life in the Premier League and the versatile defender has emerged as an early target, with the defender set to see his contract in South Wales expire at the end of this month.
Should Luton Town strengthen their interest in Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere?
Three of our writers here at FLW have shared their thoughts on Latibeaudiere and whether he would be a good addition at Kenilworth Road…
Billy Mulley
Luton are fantastic navigators of transfer windows and this would be yet another fine pick-up as they continue their progression.
Of course, the Hatters have secured promotion to the Premier League, and they can cast their net wider when it comes to recruiting for England’s top-flight, however, adding young and hungry talent on free deals will also be important.
Latibeaudiere possesses good athleticism, excellent quality in possession and is developing at an exciting rate, making him someone that the Hatters should strengthen their initial interest in.
Adding to that, he adds versatility, proving to deliver a strong level of performance as a central defender, full-back or a wing-back, which only adds to an exciting range of skills he already possesses.
You cannot help but feel that this would be very strong pick-up for the Hatters as they head for the Premier League.
Brett Worthington
This would be a very exciting signing for Luton Town.
Latibeaudiere established himself as a regular in the Swansea City team this season, making the most appearances in a season to date.
At 23, Latibeaudiere is a player who has a bright future ahead of him and will no doubt improve and become an even better defender. The player showed this season that he is someone who is comfortable on the ball and can be an asset in both boxes.
He seems the perfect fit for a defender under Rob Edwards, in addition to that, he is a free agent, so if Luton can get this deal done, it would be a real bargain signing for the Hatters.
Jack Price
Joel Latibeaudiere would be a smart, shrewd piece of business for Luton Town that would yield both short and long-term benefits.
Latibeaudiere would help progressive-minded boss Rob Edwards to further implement his philosophy on the team and build from the back, as he possesses excellent ball distribution qualities nurtured through his time at Manchester City and more recently under the tuition of Russell Martin.
It does represent something of a gamble given that he is untested at the highest level, but the 23-year-old has the skill set to adapt, and crucially the age to become a stalwart of Luton’s backline for years to come.
Blackburn Rovers ‘frustrated’ by lack of EFL opportunities for players
Rovers will work to get more of their young players opportunities in the EFL having been left ‘frustrated’ by the lack of loan enquiries.
Despite the club being the only Championship side competing in the top division of Academy football last season, there were very few opportunities afforded to players going out on loan.
While the club have prioritised their high-potential players by keeping them around the first-team squad, others have been overlooked for loan experience.
Central defender Hayden Carter is an example of the importance that loan moves can have, with the 23-year-old enjoying a breakout 2023 after loan spells in League One at Burton Albion and Portsmouth in the previous two seasons.
Yet many of Rovers’ other Academy graduates have broken into the first-team without loan experience, while others have had to either drop into non-league or stay in the Under-21s for longer than the club would otherwise like.
It is something they hope to change in the forthcoming summer, with the feeling that many are ready for a taste of senior football.
Head of Academy Stuart Jones believes Rovers have been too often overlooked when it comes to players searching for players on loan.
Jones believes clubs in League One and League Two says there is a ‘frustration’ that ‘the phone doesn’t ring as much’ as it does for Premier League players.
While top-flight clubs naturally have bigger squads who may be more readily available, Jones believes that Rovers competing against the top academies in the country should make them an attractive proposition.
While many of the players to have broken into the Rovers first-team of late have done so without the need for loan experience, others have been able to forge careers in the EFL based upon such experiences.
Dan Butterworth will be hoping to be the latest of those following his release, having spent the 2022/23 season with Port Vale and having finished the previous campaign with Fleetwood Town.
