Luton Town striker joins Shrewsbury Town on season-long loan

Luton Town striker Joe Gbodé has joined League Two side Shrewsbury Town on a season-long loan as he looks to gain further first-team experience.

The 21-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at National League side Woking, where he scored three goals in 15 appearances after making the switch in January.

He becomes the latest young Hatter to secure a loan move this summer, following the departures of Oli Lynch to Port Vale and Ethon Archer to Bromley.

Gbodé joined the Hatters from Gillingham last summer and made five senior appearances for the club during the 2025/26 campaign.

His Luton debut came in September when he came off the bench for Zack Nelson during the Hatters’ 3-2 home defeat to Plymouth Argyle. He went on to make four further substitute appearances before heading out on loan to Woking for regular minutes.

The forward helped the Cardinals finish 10th in the National League and will now step back into the Football League with Shrewsbury for the 2026/27 season.

The move offers Gbodé the opportunity to continue his development with consistent senior football and Shrews manager Gavin Cowan told the League Two club’s website: “Joe perfectly fits the profile of player we want to bring to the football club.

“He’s a very good player at this level, with pace, power and the ability to score goals. When he gets defenders one-on-one, he’s electric, and we’re really excited to have him at the club.

“What really stood out to me was his attitude. After moving from Gillingham to Luton last year, he found himself out of favour, but instead of waiting for an opportunity, he chose to go and play regular football in the National League.

“He’s not a National League player – he’s an EFL player – but he showed a fantastic mindset by doing whatever it took to keep playing and continue his development.

“He’s someone I’ve known about for a while. He’s still only 21 and is a striker with enormous potential.

“We’ve already seen what a great character he is. Now it’s about helping him take the next step.”

“Joe is another really positive addition for us. He’s young, strong, athletic and quick, and we’ve seen the level he’s capable of reaching. We’re excited to work with him.”