Luton in talks to sign ex-Man United winger Tahith Chong from Birmingham City as they gear up for the Premier League… with Mads Juel Andersen and Marvelous Nakamba also on the Hatters’ target list
- Chong, 23, only signed for Birmingham last summer having impressed on loan
- Luton boss Rob Edwards wants to strengthen following promotion to top-flight
- Nakamba helped them into the Premier League during loan from Aston Villa
Luton are in talks with Birmingham over winger Tahith Chong, who only moved to St Andrew’s last summer.
The Hatters are also discussing moves for Barnsley’s Mads Juel Andersen and Aston Villa’s Marvelous Nakamba.
Chong, 23, came through the Manchester United academy, making 16 first-team appearances for the Old Trafford club.
The Curacao-born player spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Birmingham, who then signed him permanently last summer.
Chong scored four goals and contributed five assists in 41 appearances for Blues last season as they finished 17th in the Championship table.
Luton won the play-offs to secure top-flight football for the first time in over three decades, with Rob Edwards eager to strengthen his squad so they can compete at the top level.
The Hatters will open their Premier League campaign with a visit to Brighton on August 12.
Danish centre-half Andersen has made 167 appearances for Barnsley over the past four seasons and was named in the League One team of the season for 2022-23 following impressive performances.
The Tykes reached the play-off final but lost in agonising fashion to South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley.
Zimbabwean defensive midfielder Nakamba, 29, spent the second half of last season on loan at Luton from Aston Villa, helping them win promotion and Edwards is keen to keep him.
Cauley Woodrow secures long-term future at Luton Town with contract extension
Woodrow, a product of Luton’s youth academy, rejoined the club last summer from Barnsley after spending over a decade away.
Woodrow began his footballing journey at Kenilworth Road when he was just 14, and made his first-team debut at the tender age of 16.
He subsequently moved to the Premier League with Fulham in 2011, before making a permanent transfer to Barnsley in January 2019.
His time at Barnsley was marked by a promotion from League One and a finish in the top six of the Championship. Woodrow then returned to Luton Town, his boyhood club, for a second stint.
Despite his challenging return marked by injuries, Woodrow made 32 appearances in the last season, coming off the bench 23 times and netting three goals. A particular highlight was his last-minute winner against Norwich City on Boxing Day.
Luton Town’s manager, Rob Edwards, expressed his admiration for Woodrow’s resilience and determination.
“Cauley has had a frustrating time since we came in. When we arrived he was just coming back from injury and worked extremely hard to get himself fit. He may not have been starting matches, but he was coming on a lot as the first sub to be introduced and was always very important, whether we were winning or losing games.”
“He’s a brilliant human being as well. I love seeing him around the place, always smiling, always gives everything, so I’m really pleased that he’s agreed to extend his contract with us.”
Woodrow shared his excitement about the new contract, saying, “I was involved in over 30 games and the club has put their faith in me by offering me a new contract, which I’m absolutely delighted about.”
He reflected on his first season back at Kenilworth Road as an “unbelievable season”, and despite some fans wishing for more game time for him, he remains grateful for his role. “I like to think that over the course of the season though, like everyone had their part to play, at times I
had mine too,” he added.
Woodrow also reminisced about his stand-out on-pitch moment, the winning goal against Norwich. “For everyone at the football club, especially the fans at the Kenny, beating a big club like Norwich on Boxing Day was a big moment,” he said
