Mick Harford has called the capture of Carlos Mendes-Gomes “a coup” for a player that “will get people off their seats”.
The Hatters won the race to sign the 22-year-old Morecambe winger for an undisclosed fee – with a price tag previously reported in the region of £500,000 – thanks to the Transfer Club contributions of season ticket holders.
Mendes-Gomes, who had a youth career at Getafe and Atletico Madrid, arrives at Kenilworth Road having fired the Shrimps into League One for the first time in their history, with the winning goal in the play-off final at Wembley last month.
“We believe it’s a real coup to get Carlos at this football club,” said assistant manager Harford when unveiling Town’s seventh signing of the summer.
“We’re signing a really exciting player who can play across the front in any position, on the side of the pitch, as a ten, as a striker and we believe he’s going to excite the crowd. He’s one of those players, I believe, who will get people off their seats.”
The Spaniard told the Transfer Club: “It’s an incredible moment for me and my family. Signing for Luton Town is a big step, moving forward. I like the project and it’s a going going in one direction and I want to be part of it.
“They’ve shown through the past years how well they’ve been doing and I just want to improve as a player. I want to learn and I think that this is the right place.”
Harford added: “We’ve signed a really humble guy, but also he’s a really brave character, in terms of what he did at Wembley in the play-off final when he scored that winning goal.
“So we’ve signed a player who’s not frightened of any situation he gets himself into. He’s really, really exciting and with development he’ll only get better at that age.
“So, it’s some really exciting times at this football club, in terms of signing Carlos. I’m really looking forward to him playing. He’ll excite the crowd, in one-v-one situations he’s dynamic and can go past players. He’ll upset back fours, hopefully.
“Initially, when Nathan (Jones) met Carlos, he came back and said, ‘I need to sign this player because of his ability’. We’re all of the same thinking.
“He’s such a humble guy and a talented guy that Gary (Sweet) and the board and the Transfer Club have strived to get him at this football club.
“It’s been a lot of hard work and Gary and Nathan worked tirelessly to get him along with the other people.”
Speaking of the Transfer Club contributions of season ticket holders, that helped secure his services, Mendes-Gomes said: “It’s shows that, as a club, it’s a family, it’s nice community. The fans show the character of Luton Town.”
