Jones eyes Adebayo impact after early swoop to avoid double price deal risk

Luton swooped early for Walsall’s Elijah Adebayo but boss Nathan Jones believes the Hatters’ history of developing players is a good indicator that the striker can make the jump from League Two to the Championship.

The 23-year-old joined Town on transfer deadline day, signing him on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee after he netted ten goals for Walsall. 

Luton had earmarked Adebayo as a summer acquisition, but with strong interest in the former Fulham Academy product from Luton’s Championship rivals Huddersfield – who reportedly tabled a £250,000 bid – Town made their move early. 

Jones said: “What we didn’t want to do was wait until the summer because what happens if he scores ten goals from now until the summer? Suddenly his price doubles, suddenly there is more competition so we have to identify them early. 

“We didn’t just want to bring in numbers, he now gets four months within our environment where he gets to learn. He gets to develop but also, I want him to impact. We get the bonus of him impacting from now until the end of the season.”

Jones has had a good eye for goalscorer, having signed Danny Hylton, James Collins and Isaac Vasell, among others since he’s been at Kenilworth Road, not to mention the other players that have gone on to clubs in higher divisions. 

“If you don’t know about our recent history and the history before because Luton had a very good history of developing players, this club has always had a history of doing that,” said the Hatters chief. 

“All we have done is go back to that ethos but we’ve had players that have gone from here, some have gone too early from here. Isaac Vassell left this football club way too early but I’m in no position to throw stones on that.

“But we have got a history of developing players because we have since we have been here. Jack (Marriot) has gone, Cameron (McGeehan), Isaac has gone, James (Justin) has gone, Jack Stacey has gone and that is because one way or another, it was good for the football club. 

“We have that record of working with people, we have managed to do that whilst improving results as well, which is a good thing. If we can continue to do that whilst continuing to be very competitive at this level, then that is excellent because we have to. 

“We can’t go out and buy Charlie Austin, Derby have gone out and brought Lee Gregory this week but we couldn’t do that. 

“We cant go and spend £2million on Sam Cosgrove, that isn’t us. So what we have to do is be a little clever, get a little earlier and then work with them, that is what we’ve done.” 

With Town striking legend Mick Harford as his assistant and Jones’ own pedigree in coaching young players before he too moved into management with Luton, he is more than happy to take rough diamonds from the lower leagues and try to shape them. 

“It is brilliant, that is probably why I was employed by the football club and it is a great way of working,” he said, adding: “They love the way we work because, yes, it would be nice sometimes to bring in slightly more readymade stuff but readymade, at the age we want them, costs millions so we are not that club. 

“What we do is we get them at the age we want them and then we have to convert them, but it is important that we still have that continuity with the likes of Kal Naismith, for example, who we brought in because he has done the level.

“Whilst others are developing and improving, we have others around them that are comfortable at the level, so it is important. Even Man United, ones that are top end ones, they didn’t have 11 of them (young players), they had four or five at a time then they had absolute world-beaters around them, so let’s not forget we have a good balance here. 

“We are very pleased, we like the environment we have and people like improving. Kal Naismith will improve here, we’ll do something different to what he has done under Paul Cook (at Wigan). 

“Not better, not worse, but something different so he will have all that education Paul Cook gave him and the education we will so it is a good place to be in.”