Luton manager Nathan Jones says the club are trying everything they can to get Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu to stay at the club, with a contract offer on the table for the midfielder and the Hatters now playing the waiting game.
The 27-year-old is the club’s current longest-serving player, having been with Town since the Conference days, but he is now a free agent after his contract expired this week.
Mpanzu has not joined up with the club for pre-season training, ahead of tomorrow’s first friendly at Hitchin Town, but he has been away on international duty with the Democratic Republic of Congo, with whom he earned his first caps.
“We’ve tried everything we can to keep Pelly. I mean absolutely everything, so the ball’s in his court really,” said Jones, adding: “We want to keep him. We offered him a contract in April and we’re just waiting. That’s all I can say.
“I’m in regular contact with him and I’d like him to stay. I know the fans would like him to stay, so we’ve made him a very good offer and I’m just waiting for him.
“He’s done fantastic for us, he’s someone we want to take forward. What we wanted to do was, from the end of last year, was to keep the ones that we really wanted to and improve in every area.
“We think we’ve done that, it’s just the midfield area is something we’ve got to make sure we strengthen. So, we’ve love to keep him. I can’t really say much more than that.”
Asked if the worse comes to the worse and Mpanzu leaves Luton, do Luton have someone lined up that could take his place, Jones said: “Of course. Until it’s not possible, then we want to try to keep him because he’s not just a footballer, it’s what he brings to the environment as well.
“Look, we’ll see. The ball’s in his court and I’ve been very respectful to him and his people. They’ve asked me for time, I’ve given them time and the club’s given them time and, hopefully, there comes a time where the decision’s made and that’s where we are.”
There is also still a contract offer for Martin Cranie but no agreements have been reached with the defender, so it’s looking like his time with Luton has come to an end, while Ryan Tunnicliffe turned down a new deal to join League One Portsmouth.
Jones said: “People choose different pathways. Cranie was a real big part of the environment and a good lad but we’re at a level with the contract that we haven’t been able to agree at this point in time. That is fine, we are very respectful of Martin. I know Martin personally because I played with him, the same as Tunni.
“It is sad because I would have liked Tunni to have stayed and really given it a go but some people choose certain things and we are fully respectful of that and I wish them all the best. Tunni did really well for us, he came in at a difficult time and we were probably looking to move him on and bring something else in but he didn’t want to, he wanted to knuckle down, he believed in his own ability.
“He did fantastically well for us and I really enjoyed working with Ryan, I really did. I found him a pleasure to work with, it is one of those things but I really, genuinely, wish him all the best because I think he will be an excellent signing for Portsmouth. The both of them really, no hard feelings but some people move on for their own accord.”
