Luton Town’s squad announcement for the 2026-27 season has provided an indication that four players could be heading for the exit door at Kenilworth Road.
Strikers Lasse Nordas and Jerry Yates, along with defenders Tom Holmes and Reuell Walters, have all been left out of the Hatters’ squad numbers list, suggesting their futures lie away from Bedfordshire as the club continues to reshape its squad ahead of the new League One campaign.
The quartet’s omission from the squad numbers announcement means they appear unlikely to feature under Jack Wilshere this season.
Walters spent the second half of last season on loan at Blackpool, while Holmes hasn’t made a Hatters appearance for almost 12 months. Nordås arrived from Norwegian side Tromsø in February 2025 but was loaned out to Dutch side Heerenveen in January, while Yates joined as arguably the club’s marquee signing of last summer, but finished the campaign on loan at Sheffield Wednesday. None of the quartet have featured in any of Town’s pre-season games.
After last weekend’s 1-0 pre-season defeat to Go Ahead Eagles, Wilshere said: “Lasse’s training, he’s working. He’ll probably want to move on for his own career and to get playing again.”
He added: “The same for Yatesy. Again, Yatesy, top guy, who, last season when I first came in, I thought he was a bit unfortunate at times and maybe if one or two of his opportunities would have dropped and gone in, it might have gone different for him
“But he went out in January, played a lot of games and again, he’ll have the same feeling as a player that he wants to continue playing games. That might be difficult here.”
There was more positive news for several players returning from injury, with midfielder Shandon Baptiste included despite continuing his recovery from the serious knee injury he suffered almost a year ago. Defender Teden Mengi also features after missing pre-season while recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered in March.
Academy youngsters Jayden Luker, Harry Fox, Christian Chigozie and Benny Benagr have all been handed squad numbers as they look to establish themselves in the first-team picture.
A number of summer signings have also been allocated their new shirts, with Kasey Palmer switching from number 54 to 45 following his permanent move from Hull City, while new striker signing Callum Marshall takes the number nine shirt, centre half, George Johnston will wear number six, while loanee Harrison Ashby has been handed the number 33 shirt.
Explaining the changes, a club statement said: “In a number of changes from last season, we will see Kasey Palmer swapping 54 for number 45 – one which he has worn regularly throughout his career at different clubs – after signing permanently from Hull City. Fellow new signing Callum Marshall is our new number nine following his arrival from West Ham, while George Johnston takes the number six after signing from Bolton, and Harrison Ashby will wear 33 during his season on loan from Newcastle United.
“Other changes see Hakeem Odoffin switch from 16 to number two, and Jake Richards loses a digit from the back of his shirt, swapping number 27 for the number seven. England Under-19 international Joe Johnson will wear number 12 this season, while Harry Fox and Devante Cole have traded numbers, with the former Barnsley, West Brom and Port Vale striker swapping 22 for the 44 he has worn for previous clubs.”
Luton Town’s squad numbers for the 2026-27 season are:
1 James Shea
2 Hakeem Odoffin
3 Kal Naismith
4 Sverre Sandal
5 Mads Andersen
6 George Johnston
7 Jake Richards
8 Liam Walsh
9 Callum Marshall
12 Joe Johnson
14 Shayden Morris
15 Teden Mengi
18 Jordan Clark
19 Jayden Luker
21 Nahki Wells
22 Harry Fox
23 George Saville
24 Josh Keeley
25 Isaiah Jones
26 Shandon Baptiste
30 Gideon Kodua
31 Benny Benagr
33 Harrison Ashby
42 Christian Chigozie
44 Devante Cole
45 Kasey Palmer
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